X2: Survivors
by TheWritingGirl23
Summary: The dystopian future has arrived. The X-men have vanished, cities are sealed, and Sentinels hunt mutants on the outside. With their heroes gone, who can save mutant kind from this hellish reality? The new X2 team must strive for freedom and peace for their kind, or die trying. Book I of III
1. Prologue: Catalyst of Chaos

**X2: Survivors**

**Prologue **

_Tuesday, March 4th 3:08 PM_

Green eyes sparkled with pride and affection as Jean Grey watched her pupil close her sky blue eyes and concentrate. The breeze ruffled the green grass of the nearly empty park around them and fluffy clouds dotted the sky.

Jean waited while Evangeline sat absolutely still, trying to reach into her mentor's mind and extract the information that Jean was holding, a secret number. The wind tossed the thirteen-year-old's cherry wood hair around her face as her eyebrows scrunched and her prim little lips pulled into a pout. Jean felt a gentle prodding in her head and she felt a small presence make itself known. She could feel the girl's psychic impression nosing around until she felt the tug and knew that she had found the number. Evangeline opened her eyes again and smiled brilliantly.

"The number is seventeen. I got it!"

"Yes, you did. You're getting a lot better controlling what information you're taking. You did great, but I think it's time to go. Your aunt might get suspicious."

Evangeline's face fell. "I don't want to go back to her." Her voice was rebellious and full of loathing. "Can't I come and stay at the institute; you said I'd be welcomed."

Jean sighed, truly feeling for her student. "You would be, and the professor would be thrilled to have you, but your parents assigned your aunt as your guardian for now and we have no legal right to take you from her. It would be considered a federal crime." Evangeline hung her head and muttered unhappily.

Jean looked up. "Your friends are waiting for you. I'll see you Friday." Evangeline stood, thanked her teacher and sprinted off to join a small group of young teens waiting for her nearby.

After waiting until they were out of sight, Jean rose to her feet and strode down the dirt pathway to the exit. She really wished she could do more for the girl, but things with the X-men were busy enough besides the fact that she had no right to intervene, at least not yet.

As she reached the parking lot a familiar psychic impression reached her and she smiled as the familiar and beloved figure approached. Scott reached her and held her gently, kissing her forehead in greeting.

"How'd it go?" He inquired lovingly as they both made their way back towards his red convertible.

Jean smiled. "Pretty well. Evangeline is coming along nicely. I just wish we could do something about her aunt. I've tried talking to the woman, but she won't budge, and I know that she doesn't care for Evangeline as well as she should. I wouldn't be surprised if Evangeline just runs away one of these days."

By now they were in the car and pulling out. "Scott…" He turned and glanced with concern at her solemn voice. "These past few months with all the anti-mutant feeling and with the team on edge…I mean, Bobby's been thinking about leaving." Scott looked shocked.

"What? Why would Bobby leave? He loves being part of the team."

"He hasn't said anything yet but I can hear what he's thinking, and he's been thinking about it loudly and a lot. He feels that even though we're trying our hardest nothing is ever going to change. He's tired of fighting what he thinks is a hopeless battle. All the other stuff to: Amara in the infirmary from that last fight with Magneto, the professor at all those violent rallies and Logan…" Jean stopped when Scott's visor gleamed brighter.

She didn't know how it had happened. One day she was a teenager and Logan was one of her dearest friends, then she was a young woman of twenty four and Logan had changed his view of her. He loved her.

She looked down, dreading coming home and seeing that combined longing and self-loathing and jealousy that would enter the blue-gray irises whenever she walked past him. Today it would be even worse with the newest addition to her fashion ensemble. She stared blankly at the beautiful ruby and silver ring that now adorned the elegant fourth finger of her left hand. Scott had proposed early that morning. She had woken up unexpectedly in his arms and greeted with a soft 'good morning'. There had only been four words given before she found the sparkling ring on the pillow beside her head. "I love you Jean."

The morning had been spent together in the sunshine before she had to meet with Evangeline. A part of her was over the moon that she would soon become Mrs. Summers, but the other half dreaded breaking her dear friend and mentor's heart. In a way, she did love the feral man, just not enough to leave Scott.

"Scott, do you wonder if Bobby's right? That we are fighting a battle we can't win? I don't mean we should give up, but sometimes I feel like I won't live to see the day where mutants and humans live in peace, if that day ever comes."

Scott held her hand as they weaved through the streets of Bayville. His brows were tight with concern. Even during Apocalypse five years ago he had never heard his beloved talk this way. He rubbed his thumb over her ringed finger.

"That day will come Jean. Even if we can't see it, we have to believe it will." Jean's eyes glowed with love. For a moment she felt something akin to a flame light inside of her, so full of love and passion for this man and for the life she lived almost literally burning her. Scott blinked. For a moment, he could have sworn Jean's eyes had flashed from mint green to flaming gold and red. He shook his head. Must be the stupid glasses.

_Saturday, April 21st 6:52 PM_

"Logan, please don't go. You are a valued teacher here and our friend."

"Sorry 'Ro, but I just need some time off."

All the X-men stared in confusion and dismay as the gruff man pulled the bag over his shoulder and began to stride from the mansion. Kitty and Kurt had their mouths open in shock, the professor and Mr. McCoy stood at the top of the stairs, regret plain on their faces. The new mutants, now full X-men, didn't know what to do. Logan had been there longer than they had and his leaving was like tearing down a piece of the mansion. It should be there, but now it was on the verge of disappearing. Only Bobby seemed unaffected, his eyes trained on his teacher with an unreadable expression on his countenance as he leaned against the doorframe. Warren Worthington III and Alex Summers, while fairly new to the Institute, could sense the feeling of doom that came with this departure.

Logan paused as he passed a silent and distraught Jean who stood with tears in her eyes. He felt the tugging at his heartstrings. He truly loved her, but she didn't feel the same way. It was best if he didn't stay here. After all, he had always been a loner; maybe this was the universe's way of telling him it was time to move on.

He lowered his eyes, trying not to cringe away from the ring on her hand. "Good luck Red." He then pushed the door open without another glance back.

His sturdy Harley was waiting for him in the driveway. He swung the bag over and mounted, about to start the engine.

"Logan! Stop!" He winced. He had hoped to not have to say this particular goodbye. Rogue, his unofficial surrogate daughter, stood on the gravel drive. She was wearing a black long sleeve with a green t-shirt over it and jeans. Her hair was longer than it had been when she was a teenager and she had lost the Goth look. Her green eyes had both sadness and anger in them.

He turned away, not wanting to let on about the pain he felt in seeing the tough girl like this. "I gotta go Stripes. It's for the best."

"No, y'all are just takin' off cause ya can't stand to look Jean in the face anymore." Her fiery southern temper added an extra sting as her words hit the nail right on the head.

"Look, if I stay then Jean will be tortured about the whole thing. She won't choose an old man like me over Shades but she doesn't like to see me hurt. Scott hates this, how I feel about her, and if the leader can't keep it together then the rest of the team can't. It's strained enough as it is. You're all strong, you don't need me anymore."

"Ah do!" Rogue snarled at him. Logan shook his head.

"No you don't. You're the strongest of them all, and besides, you got your Cajun boyfriend to watch out for ya now."

Rogue hung her head. "Ah do love Remy, he means the world ta me, but he's only a piece. He may be the man Ah love, but he isn't a father ta me." Her jade eyes brimmed over and the tears fell.

Logan turned and began to start the engine again. He wanted to reach over and wrap her in a bear hug, but that would only make the farewell harder. "Maybe I'll come back to visit you Stripes, and Kitty too." He added on about his second 'girl'. "It's up to Gumbo and the Tin Can to watch over you girls now."

"We don't need watchin' over," she said, but not with nearly as much vigor as on any other day. "When? When will ya come back?"

The engine roared to life and he placed the helmet over his head. "Soon Stripes." With that he gunned the bike and shot from the grounds. He left Bayville behind in the twilight.

_Thursday, May 2nd 5:12 PM_

A lot of hushed whispering was going on behind closed doors, and it couldn't be chalked up to the lightheartedness of average teenage gossip.

"Come on guys, you'd have to be blind and deaf to not be able to see how bad things have gotten," hissed the voice of Bobby Drake. "We're all exhausted from hardly ever getting a break between dealing with crazy mutants and then these mutant-human relations. Logan skipped out on us, Magneto keeps coming back and we get injured almost every fight, and Scott looks about ready to crack. Not to mention the fact that even if we save entire cities, humans still hate us."

The voice of Jubilee joined in. "It's been hard, we know that Bobby, but we had to know there were going to be rough periods. The professor told us so after Apocalypse. We can't just walk out on everything. They need us."

Ray shook his head, his eyes thoughtful. "But what about Amara? She almost died last time; how much longer can we risk this kind of thing? And like Bobby said, when Logan decides to cut and run things are getting pretty bad. Maybe we should consider that we should bow out?" The voices began to rise as the argument grew more heated.

There was a grunt of disgust from the normally cheerful Sam Guthrie. "Do what y'all want, but the X-men are like my family. No matter what happens, I'm sticking with them." He leapt off his perch on Ray's desk before stalking from the room. Despite his loyal words, uncertainty was still thick in the room.

_Saturday, May 9th 11:02 PM_

"I'm worried Rogue. In the last two months alone we just seem to be falling apart at the seams." Two girls sat cross-legged on their respective beds, facing each other through the nighttime darkness.

Rogue nodded, the same barely shadowed fear showing on her face. "I know Kitty. Ever since Logan left things have just gotten worse."

Kitty's whispers began to tremble. "What do you think is going to happen?"

Rogue was very silent. She didn't know what would happen. She had the ability to absorb the minds of anyone she touched, but she felt that even if she were to absorb every mind on the planet, she still wouldn't know what the future held for them.

"I don't know Kitty. I just don't know."

_Monday, May 17th 9:15 PM_

"Professor?"

The dignified man looked up as Jean entered. It had been several weeks since Logan had left, and though she had held herself well, he knew that it had been a harsh blow to her.

"Yes Jean, what can I do for you?"

There was worry in her gaze. "About the speech tomorrow…"

"I know what you're going to say Jean. I know that you're concerned, but I have to go. It is highly important that I be there for this. We are very close to making serious progress in mutant rights."

Jean nodded in submission. She knew that she wouldn't change her professor's mind. She felt a twinge inside of her and it hurt. She staggered a bit.

"Jean? Are you alright?"

"Yes professor. I am fine." Jean replied, but her voice sounded odd. It was older and had a strange double tone, deeper than normal for a woman and powerful. Then Jean looked up, smiled, and wished him goodnight. She left him and he felt as though he had missed something. Something important.

_Tuesday, June 30th 11:51 PM_

Dark night lay over Bayville. It had changed dramatically in such a short time. The doors were barred over and the windows were blacked out. There was a flash of lights as army squadron cars rumbled along the deserted streets like prowling beasts.

There was a flicker of movement as several shadows darted through an alleyway. The figures swept like ghosts through the back ways, clearing the city without as much as a noise. They drifted over the outskirts of the city heading for the sophisticated neighborhood that housed Greymalkin Lane where the Xavier mansion lay.

Outside of the walls they paused. The girl at the rear clutched her head and silently moaned in pain. Her eyes opened. They had once been blue but now they were the colors of a raging flame. She could feel the new force inside of her slamming at the edges of her restraint, a trapped animal longing to be released, to take over.

"The security is off. Come on." A boy at the front of their group whispered. They all began to climb the strong vines of ivy and leapt over the wall. If the security system had been on they would have been shot off the wall before they could have blinked. The house was silent and only one light was on.

They crossed the deserted lawn under the stars and entered the house.

"Hello?" The boy called. No answer. The group spread out through the house, searching for the residents. The girl climbed the stairs and turned down the left hand corridor. She heard a stifled noise coming from a room near the end of the hallway.

She entered to find Scott Summers lying on his bed. His face was grey and every vein stood out. He was curled in the fetal position and twitched feebly. His face was wet with tears.

"J-Jean…I'm, s-sorry…" he choked in a voice of someone dying, inside and out. A pang twisted the girl's heart. She could smell that cursed metallic scent in the air; Toxin X. She knew though that the toxin wasn't what was causing him the worst pain. She knew because she felt it herself, but for him it was a thousand times worse. She tried to block out the horrific images. _The awful crack and the professor falling from his chair, lifeless._ She went over to stand beside the bed. _The screams and yells as more shots were heard and the X-men flung themselves into the fray as she ducked for cover_. The girl looked upon the face of despair. _The crashes and yells as she shoved through the crowd, searching for her friend._She felt one tear trickle down her cheek. _The heat was so sudden, and the pressure in the room grew almost unbearable. All she could hear was the panicked screams in her head from Jean's psyche. She watched in terror as flames exploded outward from the redhead and the godlike image of fire rose, tearing the roof from the building._

"I'll miss her too." She muttered. _The last cry of Jean Grey resonated through the air. The firebird rose higher and grew brighter, setting the very air around them tingling with its raw, cosmic power. It was going to destroy them all. Yet the girl could feel a connection with it and knew what to do instinctively, for all their sakes. "Come back!" She screamed telepathically to the force. "Take me! I can keep you alive!" The monstrous flaming eyes found the girl in the crowd, and it twisted and dived. She resisted the urge to run as the fiery leviathan plunged toward her. The force smashed into her and she could feel the heat melding with her body. The fire surrounded her, blinded her, until with a rush it vanished and she collapsed._

Her eyes blinked open and the sound of her name. She turned to see one of her companions, a year younger than her, looking in. Her oval brown-hazel eyes were mournful.

"We found the rest. I'll help you bring him." She joined her and they both lifted the young man as best he could. They managed to make it down the stairs, where the rest waited. The X-men lay on the floor.

Kitty Pryde unconsciously clutched the hand of the once mighty Colossus; both were now shrunken it seemed by the toxin slowly killing them. Kurt Wagner's blue fur was turning gray as was Hank McCoy's. Storm lay like an African queen, regal and beautiful even so close to death. The new mutants all lay close together, Bobby holding Jubilee's hand and Sam holding Amara's. Alex Summers panted weakly, while Warren painted a sad picture of a fallen angel. Jamie was huddled at the feet of Ray and Tabitha and Rahne was hunched in her hybrid form close to Roberto. Rogue was curled tightly against Remy whose arm was wrapped around her waist. All of their faces were gray and veined, lips purple and sunken eyes closed.

The young mutants all looked down on the legendary X-men, fading and defeated.

A girl with orange and silver hair and green eyes, one clouded, looked at the others. "How come them and not us? Why are they affected and we aren't?"

A boy with less descript golden eyes spoke up from across their circle. "I think it's a generational enhancement. Those of the current generation under eighteen with an X gene seem to have immunity to the toxin. I guess they didn't take further mutation into their plans when they made it."

"What matters now is what to do. We came here for help but the X-men are all but gone, just like so many others. Just like most of our parents." There was absolute silence. Some of their parents still lived, but it was doubtful if they would be seeing them any time soon.

The fire-eyed girl looked down on them. Things were changing. Her precognitive sense was telling her so. For a moment she could see a hazy picture of a land deserted, with one small figure crouched underneath a decrepit shack of a house. She could feel hunger, loneliness, and despair.

"It is up to us now. We owe that much to the world, and to those who will come after us." It wasn't her voice but the deep tone of the force inside. They all looked up at her, but their gazes were of agreement and resolution. Silently, they spread out across the silent mansion and set to work.

As the sun rose the next day, tanks crunched through the gates of the institute and rumbled across the grass. Squadrons of soldiers poured out of the many vehicles and ran in files up to the doors. They kicked them open and fanned out, with their orders in their heads. Apprehend the bodies and bring any still alive into custody.

Yet, after searching the entire estate they found nothing. No bodies, no evidence. Downstairs they found what appeared to be an aircraft hangar, but it was empty. They found a great spherical room, but the bridge outward had been blown out and nothing remained. There was also an empty steel dome-like room. The control room there was also in shambles. Even as they searched the bedrooms all they discovered were bare beds and bare walls, empty closets and drawers.

The wanted X-men had vanished without a trace.

_Next chapter: Not many changes here, but there will be more in the following chapters._


	2. Seekers

**X2: Survivors**

The land was silent. It was near sunset hour and a smoky pall of clouds covered the sky. The only clarity to be seen was a strip of sky in the west that allowed the red light to stream beneath the overcast and to paint the country in a gloomy crimson hue. Despite the presence of the fading sun's light it was bitterly cold and a chill wind swept over fields empty of anything but grass. The stalks hissed and rattled, as if they were trying to bring life to a place abandoned.

Deserted farmhouses, rotting fences, and lopsided telephone poles were pretty much the only human made structures for miles around. The only other prominent building was a large mechanical plant of sorts. The smokestacks no longer spewed black clouds and the machines inside were rusted and unmoving. The land was empty.

Or so it would seem. On the roof of the plant there was movement. A moment later a figure stepped into the bloody evening light and stood like a statue far above the ground, facing into the west without regard to the biting winter air.

The boy remained still, waiting. Brown eyes, squinted against the red light, stayed trained outward to the scarlet horizon. The chilly wind tossed his black hair about his face, but he paid it no mind.

After many silent minutes passed with little movement the young man sat down cross-legged on the concrete roof and pulled his sweater tighter around himself. His arms were bare, but that hardly seemed to matter when his arms, instead of being flesh and blood, were psionic limbs that glowed with faint cobalt light.

"Where are you?" he whispered, scanning the darkening horizon. He wasn't worried, per say, but he could never quite restrain that tug of uneasiness in his gut if they were late.

The light began to bleed out as he continued the silent vigil. With a last wink the day was gone and the evening became very dark under the thick clouds.

The boy's head was listing to his chest in weariness and boredom when there was another flash, this one fainter but noticeable. He jerked up and stood sinuously. He stared out into the blackness. Sure enough, there it was: the fiery flare that signaled the return of the scouts.

A faint roar reached his ears as well as a muffled, birdlike shriek. A streak of fire shot like a comet across the sky, straight towards his perch, before exploding like a firework in front of him. In its place now stood two girls. The first was a shapely young woman with long legs and thick auburn hair that trailed down her back in a long braid. Her topaz eyes gleamed like sparks. She was covered in a spandex black body suit with gold boots, sash, and elbow length gloves. The image of a golden bird with outstretched wings was displayed on the chest piece of her body armor, peeking between the flaps of her open leather bomber jacket. The second was a girl around the same age as the first but very different in appearance. This one had midnight black hair and light blue eyes and was even curvier. She was dressed only in raggedy black pants and jacket with worn sneakers. A belt was slung low on her hips, but it only carried thin metal wires and needles. The young man noticed also that she was clutching one hot bike with lightning bolts painted on the sides. All in all, the two girls and the bike, made a picture well worth looking at.

The boy with the psionic arms moved forward. "I was starting to wonder if you would have me staked out here all night Evangeline," he stated to the auburn haired one.

She tossed her braid back and smirked, but with little amusement. "Have I ever done that before Donovan? No, I haven't, so you and can have a bit more faith in my seeking skills."

Donovan shrugged. "I don't have a problem with your technique, but since I'm the one who has to stay behind and wait it tends to get boring. So, new recruit?" He turned with a friendly smile to the other girl. He held out one of his psionic arms to shake hands. "My name's Donovan McCabe, or Limb. Welcome to X2. Though, maybe I shouldn't say that until we're back home safe and sound."

The girl glanced at his 'hand' for a mere second, and then a bit hesitantly at the grim set features of the tall boy's face, before shaking it politely. The kind smile he wore began to melt her uneasiness. "Stacy Blackstone. Eve here says that you guys search for mutants and take them in. I'm glad I met her. I can handle solo but I was getting tired of having to talk to myself for company."

Donovan cringed. "Most of us have been down that road. Can I ask what your powers are?"

"I'm autokinetic, I generate and control electricity. That's why I have all the needles and stuff."

"Interesting. You use them to generate the electrical charge?"

Evangeline suddenly interrupted as she scanned the night. "Has Dominic made it back yet?"

"Not yet." Donovan spoke just as there was a shimmer then a blast and whirl of dark purple and black light and smoke erupted next to them. The two coughed, and Stacy, not being used to this, jumped back with a yelp. Out of the wisps of smoke stepped a tall, slim Latino boy with a Gothic appearance in a long trench coat. He was accompanied by a very strange looking boy. His oval shaped face elongated into a fanged muzzle and snout and his skin was covered in black reptilian scales. Spikes poked out of the line of his spine and a whip like tail extended out and twined around him. A ten-foot wingspan spread out behind his back. His eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue.

"Dominic's back," said Donovan.

Stacy coughed again. "Are dramatic entrances a required skill around here?"

The Latino, Dominic, flashed a charming half smile. "Believe me, I asked that thousands of times before I just got used to it." His eyelids drooped and he would have face planted if Donovan hadn't caught him and hauled him back up. Dominic shook his head, trying to clear away the bleariness. "Sorry. Teleporting really takes it out of me. I'd much rather run."

Evangeline snorted. "I'm sure our newest member wouldn't appreciate having to chase after you for a couple hundred or thousand miles, or wherever you found him." She turned and nodded to the dragonesque teen. He ducked his head and scuffed his feet.

Dominic managed to stand on his own. "This is Christopher Nightingale. I found him hiding out in a ghost town in Nevada, but he actually comes from New York. He isn't good with new people so give him a little time." He clapped Chris on the shoulder. Chris jumped a little but smiled shyly anyway, flashing his fangs.

Donovan peered around. Only two. It was getting harder all the time. Suddenly, Evangeline's hand flew to her temple and her eyes grew blank. The others stared on high alert as she came out of the trance and looked at them.

"Sentinel," she hissed.

Without hesitation, Donovan began to herd the new recruits downstairs through the hatch in the roof, Stacy and Dominic hauling her bike. Evangeline paused, a fireball forming in her hand. It shot out and swept around the rooftop floor before jumping back into her gloved palm, having eliminated any biochemical traces of mutant DNA from the area. With that, she jumped down the hatch and swung it closed over her.

The five teens clattered down the metal staircase, feeling the rusty thing wobbling beneath their clanging footsteps. They rushed through a giant room with many unidentifiable machines and conveyor belts, towards a small steel door on the opposite side, dropping Stacy's bike in a corner on the way. They swept inside and shut the door.

They all held perfectly still, waiting. Moments later they could hear the deep thump and rattle of gigantic metal feet coming close to the facility. They heard the whirring of machinery and indistinguishable words in the forbidding, robotic voice before the clanging resumed and the Sentinel moved on. The mutants remained motionless for several minutes after all sounds had faded into the distance before relaxing again in relief.

"Man I hate Sentinels, even more since they got upgraded," said Dominic, slumping to the cold floor. It was dark, crowded, and cold in what appeared to be an old facility closet. Stacy shivered.

"How long do we have to stay here?" the black haired girl inquired, mist billowing out of her lips.

Evangeline was settling into a corner, leaving her leather army jacket on. "Even if we didn't have those rust buckets clanking around, we'd still have to stay here overnight. Dominic needs to recover and my mode of transportation is a little noticeable at night, and we don't want to draw any attention to our current or permanent location. Actually, we won't be going the whole way by mutant fast lane. So be grateful for your bike because we'll have a long way to go."

Donovan reached into the corner and pulled out a large black duffel bag. He unzipped it and handed out assorted blankets, from couch covers to thick comforters.

"You might want to use as many as we got, because it gets even colder than it is now during the night."

Stacy, Christopher, and Dominic all claimed blankets. Christopher only took a thin covering while the others piled themselves under as many blankets as they could.

"Aren't you going to get cold?" asked Stacy, staring in confusion at Evangeline who hadn't claimed anything to keep warm.

"I burst into flame," said Evangeline as she settled down against the wall, "so I'll be fine."

Weariness stole over them all, and eyes eventually began to drift shut. Evangeline and Dominic however remained awake.

"_Dominic, why were you late?"_ Evangeline asked through her telepathic powers.

"Nothing much, just had a little delay." Dominic mumbled too quickly.

Evangeline turned her head and fixed her keen eyes on the dark skinned boy. Her eyebrow was raised in skepticism but her gaze was sympathetic and pitying.

"You ran into the Outcasts didn't you? You were talking to Nina again," she asked out loud. Every one of the Seekers knew of Jump's wayward twin sister who had defected to the Outcasts in frustration and a desire for vengeance. The effect her departure had on her brother was enough to tell anyone that the two had been very close once. Not anymore it seemed. Dominic bowed his head.

"Yeah, I was. We ran into them when we had a little trouble with some Prowlers, and a group of them intervened. Nina was there. Of course they destroyed them in record time and they were about to take off. I caught her, but the conversation went the same as it always does. She isn't coming back."

Eve turned away. "You can't know that. Nina cares about you, and she isn't stupid. Sometimes we need to leave home to find out where we belong. If Nina's place is with the Outcasts then we shouldn't try to change her mind. Otherwise she'll come back."

"Yeah. It's just…she was the only family I had left." The room fell silent. The other three were already asleep.

"_That's why we're still fighting. It's the only thing we have left to lose."_ Evangeline murmured mentally, not knowing whether the others had heard the projection.

"It's late," she declared out loud. "We have a long way to go tomorrow and we need to be alert." Dominic agreed and turned over to sleep. As they fell into dreams the land once again became silent.

* * *

It was always so loud here. The very air was made of clanking, hissing, groaning, and scraping coming from the heavy machinery.

The girl looked to the sky, hoping to see some stars. But all she could see were the burnt clouds of smoke belching from the exhaust towers as always. A faint whine escaped past her lips. How she longed to see past that choking curtain and into the wild black expanses she used to spend hours simply staring at.

"Mutant! Get back to work!"

Only inhuman reflexes spared the girl from the rapid shot from a Taser rod that tried to hit her. Leaping up nimbly, she clung hard to the pipes of the scaffolding as black claws suddenly burst from her fingertips. Losing control, the face of a pale girl with choppy black hair and hunter green eyes morphed into that of a snarling wolf dog. A feral growl rumbled in her throat as she glared down at her handler.

The man was stocky and broad-shouldered. His bushy mustache reminded her of a bristling caterpillar crawling on his lip. The Taser rod twitched in his hands, as if he longed to take a swing at her again. Instead he sneered at her, coffee stained teeth bared.

"The Wild Child had better get back to working, or else she's going to earn herself an extra-long shift, and a few more scars on top of it. Or, maybe I could save that for someone else, eh?" His squinty dark eyes sought out a frail young woman working nearby, whose skin glinted, just barely revealing the small silvery scales that covered her body. The woman flinched away, her hand held up defensively.

"No," growled the wolf girl as she dropped down from her perch. "I'll work. Just leave her alone."

The man grunted. "Good." He then stalked off to make sure the rest of his force was working steadily.

Hissing faintly under her breath, the wolf girl turned around and sprang upward. Her strong, calloused hands gripped the pipes tightly as she began to haul herself up the metal rod structure frame of the new energy tower that was being built.

The girl climbed until her fellow workers were merely specks below her. Then she clipped her harness onto the tower frame. She would need both her hands to work her magic with her tools, and she couldn't be worrying about falling to her death.

The girl gazed out to where the sun was sinking. The dying light framed a skyline, one of skyscrapers and buildings. Noises of life and merriment echoed through the air toward her. Lights gleamed in many windows, a hopeful sight.

The girl growled as her eyes dropped below the city. Her sight found the 'business district' as it was lightly dubbed by their masters. Her people called it Hell. Bedraggled slums, narrow dirty streets, and fields for crops and irrigation made a muddy landscape that encircled the city in a ring. And surrounding this were ugly, gloomy structures: energy or electrical towers, such as the one on which she was mounted, or oil refineries, textile mills, and factories for commercial goods. This depressing spread was just as inhabited as the nearby city, but the life here was miserable and dragging.

It was terrible because the people that suffered were **her **people: mutants. The people living in comfort barely five miles away were humans, pure and normal. Those who sweated, bent, and groaned in labor were mutants, freaks of nature. And now slaves. The girl's fist clenched hard on the metal pipes, almost denting them. To restrain her feral side, she wrenched the tools from her belt and set to work on fixing up the energy tower. But even that reminded her of the years she spent in the garage with her father, working on their vehicles.

Night had long ago fallen when the deep blare sounded from the loud speakers, signaling the end of the workers' shift. The wolf girl moaned as she pulled her bleeding and singed hands away from her work. She was the most proficient mechanic the working district had, but she paid physically for her reputation. Sighing, she lowered herself to the first scaffold, before she leapt easily down the metal levels to the ground. The moment she hit the ground, she exited the construction site and padded down the dusty path home.

The road, dimly lit by dirty industrial street lamps, wound between the slums where the mutant workers slept at night. All of them were young, the oldest only being five or six years older than herself. The girl skirted around one derelict bar, which was one of the very few places mutants could go for entertainment. She often went there herself, but tonight she was too weary to drink herself to oblivion, or take out her frustration on the other drunks physically. It was a long walk, but at last she arrived at her destination.

It was a farmhouse on the edge of one of the huge crop fields. The place was little more than an ugly concrete block of a house, but it had heat, cooling, running water, and electricity, rarities not often found in the hovels that the slave mutants occupied. The house was surrounded in concrete drive and a grey brick wall. Not ten yards apart from the house, the crop field began.

The girl's muscles screamed as she thought of the long shift that she would work there in the morning, starting at six. Then at one in the afternoon it would be back to the construction site until nearly midnight.

She was so exhausted in fact, that she didn't hear someone sneaking up on her until she was slammed into the brick wall rimming the farmhouse. She snarled wildly, but didn't shove back. All she could do was glare into the smirking face of Sergio, her master's son. How she longed to sink her abnormally sharp canines into his throat. But she knew the penalty for such an act was a slow, public death.

Sergio grinned wider, pushing the mutant girl harder back into the wall as he came closer, wrenching her arms up over her head. The mutant, while shorter than him, was strong and wiry. She could have easily beaten him in a fight, but they both knew she wouldn't.

"Hey mutie, how was work at the slave hub?" he snickered into her ear. His fingers fiddled with the bottom hem of her grey workers shirt, a large black M stamped on the left side.

His captive audience growled at him, her eyes piercing his defiantly. "It was quite pleasant actually. You should consider it as a career choice."

Sergio tsked mockingly. "I don't think so. I have it pretty easy here. It's better to leave that kind of dangerous work to your kind, isn't it?"

Suddenly his hand began to slide up underneath her shirt. This caused her growling to intensify. He knew that her preferences weren't like the norm, and how actions like this drew out her defensive animal side. He liked to test her limits, try to find out what would send her over the edge, and effectively end her life.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Me." She was whispering this now as fangs began to sprout from behind her lips. The boy smirked again.

"Or what mutie? You gonna…"

Light suddenly flooded over them and Sergio drew away from her a bit.

"Sergio, father needs you inside." The voice was light and clear, but commanding all the same. A slim figure stood framed in the back doorway. Reluctantly he drew back, throwing one last leer at the mutant slave before heading inside.

The mutant let out a deep breath to calm herself as she straightened out her rumpled shirt. The figure in the door paused before exiting into the yard. A young blonde girl, about the mutant's age, stared at the slave with concern and care in her hazel eyes.

"Dakota? Are you alright?"

"I will be," Dakota Shade rumbled as she straightened up and prepared to head to her bed in the garage. A soft hand caught her arm and she turned back to the equally soft gaze.

The hand slid down to grasp hers, gripping on despite the sharpness of Dakota's nails or the fur lining her hands.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered. "I wish there was something I could do for you."

Dakota sighed and gave the hand a reassuring squeeze. "You've given me everything Lindi, just by treating me as a human, and as a friend. I couldn't ask any more of you." She gently disengaged from the grasp and slipped away to her bunk.

She didn't even bother to change from her work clothes. She had very few other options, and none of them were any cleaner than what she wore now, so there was really no point. Dakota huddled under the thin covering and tried to gain some warmth. Unconsciously, her eyes sought out the small round window in the wall. It didn't look toward the city, but rather back northward. The mutant could see the dark hulking mass that was the Wall. It surrounded the city and its resources, keeping everything outside out, and everything inside trapped within.

Dakota felt sleep grabbing at her, but her mind conjured her perpetual daydream as she drifted off. She imagined running, running so fast none of her handlers could catch her. And then she would leap, so high that the Wall was nothing more than a dark line below. Then freedom would come, empty rolling hills and endless fields, where she could run and run and run, and never, ever stop.

* * *

The angry screeching echoed up and down the halls. The white linoleum floors and the pale, flickering fluorescent lights gave the space an eerie, cold feeling to it. The screaming wasn't helping in the slightest.

A door slammed as two men entered the hallway from one of the many doors, dressed in white Hazmat-like suits. They both gripped tightly onto metal rods, on the ends of which were thick chains. And at the end of the chains, clamped immobile in a strait jacket and multiple cuffs and collars, was a young woman. Her muddy brown eyes were wide with fear and rage as she thrashed in her bindings, but there was very little she could do. Her hands were wrapped up around her tightly in the jacket, and a thick metal clamp around her chest kept her from bolting and dragging her captors along. And her greatest gift that might have liberated her was restrained by the blinking, futuristic collar around her neck. Despite the hopelessness of her position she continued to thrash and yell in defiance.

The men in white continued to drag their struggling charge down the hallway, their shoes squeaking against the linoleum. At last they shoved their way through one of the doors. It was a large office, mostly bare, with only an obnoxiously large desk in the center and a large bookcase stacked with record books and thick manila folders.

As the three entered the man behind the desk looked up. He stared with disdain at the gasping girl the two men had dragged to him.

"Commander Raul, we have a Code 6 with this mutant girl. She refuses to cooperate and the scientists can't get much work done with her in this constant state," one of the suited men said from behind his suit mask.

"Code 6, huh?" The commander stood, staring at the mutant. She glared wildly at him from behind a curtain of her hair, which was loose and tangled from her struggling. She was one of the older ones, eighteen to twenty maybe, and quite tall, nearly six feet. "What's her number?"

"MS 492231." The commander nodded as he pulled a record book from his shelf and leafed through it.

"Ah, here she is. Mutant Subject 492231, Magdalena Oliver, nineteen years old. Her father Jason Oliver put out a warrant for her capture four years ago, but we were unable to catch her until September last year. How did that happen again?"

"One of the collection Sentinels brought her in with a few others they found hiding in an abandoned town."

"Hmm," the general grunted in response as he continued to read the information they had. At last he dropped the record book and the enclosed file. He leaned over his desk, getting in close to the mutant's face.

"You have been a problem guest, haven't you? Five escape attempts, and several incidents with those powers of yours that have cost us more than a few pennies. So those doctors are calling for a Code 6 on you. What do you think about that?"

Her only reply was to spit at him. He leaned back, wiping his cheek disgustedly with his uniform sleeve. "Go ahead with that Code 6 and put her in stasis. Should cure her of some attitude problems after a few months."

Once again the shrieking resumed as Magdalena was dragged back out of the room, but this time it was more desperate.

Magdalena fought for all she was worth, but she knew it was useless. Even if she could wrench away, her explosive powers would still be locked away, and the endless twisting hallways that led out of the mutant containment facility were a maze to her. She would be caught long before she could break out.

They were approaching another set of doors, double wide and made of steel. A red light glared above the door, casting its ominous glow like an omen of doom. Freezing mist leaked out from beneath the doors.

With a few taps against the keypad beside the doors and a retinal scan, the red light turned green, and with a blare and a hiss the doors swung inward.

Magdalena gasped, fear and cold freezing her limbs to the point where her handlers pulled her through the doors easily.

They had entered a gigantic space, the ceiling and far wall lost in the gloom and distance. She was being dragged along a metal walkway that edged a huge drop to the invisible floor. Metal paths suspended by long cables spanned the gap, crisscrossing back and forth. More identical walkways crossed over the levels above and below them.

But this wasn't what terrified Magdalena. It was instead what the curving walls were comprised of, every block of them glowing blue to illuminate what was inside. The looming walls were made up of thousands upon thousands of coffin-like containers. Inside each was a mutant, frozen in an inescapable sleep.

She was suddenly jerked to a halt as hands grabbed at her. With desperation she lashed out, but something sharp stung her in the neck. She instantly went limp.

The shackles and strait jacket were removed. Magdalena whimpered; if only she could move her limbs! There was a hiss as one of the empty glass coffins slid out of the wall, a billow of cold mist rising from it.

"_Please, move!" _she screamed at her own body in her head, but it was useless. Her limp body was shoved into the box, several electrodes were attached to her skin, and then the box was slid back into the wall. A lock clicked with terrible finality.

The hiss of a freezing gas flooded the chamber. The pounding of desperate hands and feet, and the cries of fear grew quieter every moment, until once again all was silent.

* * *

_A/N: Obviously, there have been some significant changes. I decided to scrap the five chapters per team format; it grew old pretty fast and some OC authors had to wait for ages to see their OC in action. So basically we're jumping the time back a little: it's still on the same timeline as before, but I'm showing the characters being brought in. And this is going to be a bit more adult, so if you're a younger reader, you have been forewarned. _

_**Next chapter:**__ Further introductions. _


	3. Coverts

**X2: Survivors**

Stacy stirred, trying to drift back into sleep, but the cold concrete beneath her kept her from her goal. It was just too uncomfortable to settle on now that the exhaustion had been driven from her body.

Sighing, she sat up and peered around. The lumps around her weren't moving, so everyone besides herself was still sleeping. The steady breathing and faint snores seemed awfully loud to her in the otherwise undisturbed silence, so she got up. Shivering with the chill, Stacy quietly pushed her way out of the room and made her way through the plant. The time seemed frozen, among the dormant machines, echoing halls, and pale blue predawn light.

The heavy door to the outside needed a good and solid shove before it opened, but at last Stacy was able to push her way into the open air. She breathed in deeply. The air, while very cold, was clean and fresh. The empty plains surrounding them were rather lonely, but they gave one a sense of freedom that was hard to ignore. Stacy was tempted to just run toward the horizon, just for the sake of never stopping, with the wind blowing her hair back and the frozen grass crunching under her sneakers.

She leaned up against the wall of the building and stared outward. Stacy smiled faintly; for the first time in years she had a sense of hope. These others like her; they were giving her a chance to fight for a new and slightly better life. Her fugitive life spent back in California had been hollow and routine: duck the Sentinels, scrounge for food, hide in the abandoned shack she called home, sleep, eat, and start the routine over again. Maybe now, with these Seekers, she could find a purpose again apart from survival.

Her reverie was abruptly snapped by a deep sigh coming from her left and a bit above her. Stacy whipped around, turning to see Evangeline or the Phoenix as she was also known, perched on some old box of machinery nearby.

"I thought you were asleep," Stacy blurted out, having nothing else immediately in mind.

Evangeline didn't look at her. "I don't sleep that much."

Stacy was used to the short answers; Evangeline wasn't the most talkative person. In fact, when Stacy had first met her, she had thought the other girl to be callous and rude.

Their first encounter had been while Stacy was digging around for a meal. An old grocery store had proved to be a rather productive hunting ground, yielding some cans of still edible beans, tomatoes, and other non-perishable items of food. She had been suddenly interrupted by a simple opening line.

"Pathetic, isn't it?"

Thinking back on it, Stacy found that it **was** a pathetic sight to behold: a scrawny teenage girl grubbing about for a few spare morsels for a meager dinner. But at the time, Stacy had responded defensively.

"What the hell do you want?" She had known the other girl was a mutant for several reasons: one, because humans didn't dare leave the safety of their confined cities these days, two, the strange way the girl dressed – only mutants tended to wear body armor and spandex as their casuals – and three, the girl had given off an aura of power that would not have existed in a normal baseline human. But, mutant or not, Stacy defended herself and only herself. Anyone else was a threat until proven otherwise.

The rusty-haired girl had just stared around the space, something akin to disgust in her eyes. Then she had looked back at Stacy.

"Are you tired of this? Tired of living like a rat crawled out of the sewers?" she had scoffed. "I know I am." She continued to just stare around.

Stacy hadn't known what this weird girl wanted with her, so she just huffed. "Do you have a point?" It might have sounded a bit bitchy, but Stacy couldn't afford to always be the nice girl she had been anymore.

The golden eyes had fallen on her again. "A life alone isn't much worth living. I'm no good at this diplomacy stuff, so I'll just say it plain. I can offer you a new home, such as it is. It won't be much, but there will be others like us supporting each other and helping our kind. It's your choice, whether you want to or not, but if you want it then I'll be in the area for a bit. Just find me to let me know what you decide."

Stacy had just stared for a minute, blank-faced as she tried to process the unexpected offer. At last she hesitantly said, "And how would I find you again?"

The strange girl had simply shrugged as she turned away and strode toward the doors. "I'll take care of that. Just think about it." She had disappeared, leaving Stacy with many questions and no small amount of confusion.

So she had done the only logical thing she could think of: she searched about for the girl again and began to follow her movements. Stacy trailed her as the strange girl spoke to other mutants, all of which rejected the offer. But Stacy had steadily come to see that the girl was genuine in her proposal and the desire to take the offer grew. But the final clincher was seeing Evangeline defeat a Sentinel. The utter ease, and yet powerful contained rage that poured out of her as she fought the thing triggered the survival instinct in Stacy. This girl was powerful, and power meant a better chance of survival.

The Sentinel had crashed to the ground, and Evangeline had drifted to the grass from her perch in the air. She had simply dusted off her gloves and looked straight at where Stacy had been hiding in the scrub.

"Stalking someone is usually frowned upon, but if it floats your boat... So, are you coming or what?" Several minutes of snarky jabs later, the two had collected up Stacy's meager belongings and had begun the journey to the home Evangeline spoke of.

"A little slow in the mornings, aren't we?"

Stacy snapped out of her memories and rolled her eyes. The short comments didn't get under her skin so much anymore; she just accepted that this was how Evangeline was. Besides, they were all entitled to be hissy at some points. Just looking at how they now lived and survived was warrant for a lifetime of complaint.

Still, the black-haired mutant was curious. Due to their rather closed-off natures, she and Evangeline hadn't talked much on their way here, so Stacy knew little about either Evangeline or of this X2 team that the boy with blue arms had talked about.

"Who are you guys?" she asked, getting the redhead to turn and look at her. "I mean what do you do and why do you do it? For most mutants out there it's kill or be killed. Are you guys like the Red Cross, or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Mutants or something?"

Evangeline snorted a bit. "Not exactly. We were just a group of a few friends at first. But when things got bad, we thought we could extend the support we gave each other to others as well. Donovan is better at explaining the whole rules and regulations bit, so remember to ask him."

Evangeline suddenly stiffened, her eyes becoming glassy and distant. Stacy tensed up. The other girl had gotten like that the previous night before the Sentinel had come near. The autokinetic prepared to bolt inside at a moment's notice.

Instead, when Evangeline returned from her distant state, the telepath hopped off of her perch and strode forward. For a moment she peered intently off into the distance before turning toward Stacy. A new and rather dangerous gleam was flickering in her gaze.

"Something's come up. Change of plans: when the others wake up, tell them to go on without me."

Stacy raised her eyebrows. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. I just know I'm needed somewhere else. When Donovan gets up tell him where I've gone and that I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before Stacy could say anything more a corona of fire wreathed around Evangeline. With a roar of flames, Phoenix rocketed into the sky. Within seconds she was gone.

Stacy frowned. She was a bit apprehensive about telling Limb that Evangeline had taken off, not knowing how he would react. But when the others woke up, roughly a quarter of an hour later, he took the news calmly.

"Usually when Evangeline says she needs to be somewhere else, she isn't kidding. Now, we're wasting daylight. Let's get going.

Shortly after, engines revved and a small black car and one sleek motorbike peeled away from the plant. Donovan drove in his car as Chris rode shotgun. Stacy stayed close on her bike, while Dominic ran beside them, keeping up with the speeding vehicles with ease.

The scenery changed very little as the hours slid by, the silvery winter sun rising steadily as they rode north.

Stacy shivered. The cold wind was nipping at her, despite the new and far warmer jacket she had been given this morning. Also, despite the nicety of boundless space to just ride without a halt, the emptiness surrounding them on all sides was becoming more eerie. Only the blowing wind could be heard over the faint hums of their vehicles.

Around about noon a break was called. The foursome pulled to a stop at the roadside. Stacy stared worriedly at the clouds. Over time they had grown steadily darker, to a point where it looked like a nasty winter storm was about to break overhead. Donovan however had a solution. Pulling a tarp from the trunk of the old car, he managed to pin the large square of material in the cracks at the top of the car doors, and weighted the other end with a large rock. Within minutes they had a makeshift tent that was just large enough for them. Chris stretched out his wings behind him and out of the tent, so as not to take up space.

Shortly after, the storm broke, chilly rain mixed with sleet pounding against the tarp. Dominic dug around in the black duffle again, pulling out some dry sandwiches and handing them around. Stacy and Chris dug into the meals readily despite their less than savory flavor.

"So," Stacy asked around a full mouthful, "Evangeline never really did explain what exactly you guys do."

Donovan looked up. "Well, basically just what you've seen so far. We've created a small community of mutants. We just look out for each other, share food and shelter, and hide out from the Sentinels and all the other stuff hunting us. And some of us are Seekers. Most of the mutants we have back at home are either too young or too scarred by their experiences to take part in the missions, but for those who are strong enough they can help us find others in need. You know about the X-men right?"

The two newcomers nodded. The X-men were legends among mutants these days.

"Well, we kind of view ourselves as their successors. They tried to help mutants in their way, and now we're just trying to do our best to do the same."

Stacy nodded. She thought that maybe that was something she could do. This feeling of companionship she now had after nearly five years on her own was a god send, and she felt that she wanted to give others that feeling.

Chris looked up from his sandwich and spoke at last. He had said hardly a word since he had arrived. "The fire girl said something about Outcasts last night. Who are they?" Stacy became curious; she hadn't thought about that at all.

Dominic and Donovan shared a rather loaded look, before the latter spoke. "They're kind of our frenemies, in an extreme form. The Outcasts are a group of mutants that approach our…situation in a different manner than we do. They're more of the strike-fast-and-hard-against-their-enemies type, and they're all into forceful liberation of our kind."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Stacy asked.

"It might have been at first." Donovan's face became very serious, accented by the howling wind flapping their tarp tent about. "But over time, it's really changed them. Some of the leaders used to be our friends, and they were a part of the original Seekers, but as time went by they got really bitter and angry. Eventually they just split apart to form their own group. At first, they were freeing lots of mutants and we were kind of rooting for them. Then they got more and more violent. They started attacking human settlements that weren't involved with mutants in any way. They've started to become killers, and because of that we've grown apart. We still think of each other as friends, but we find ourselves butting heads more often than working together." A sad look had taken over his face as he thought about how far his former friends had fallen.

Stacy and Chris were quiet. They didn't know these Outcasts, heck, they hardly knew the Seekers. But the way Donovan spoke about them revealed some of the tragedy that lay between the estranged groups.

"So it's just Outcasts and Seekers around?" Chris asked softly.

Dominic jumped in. "No. There is another group of us, called the Coverts."

"But," Donovan cut him off, "I think it would be best if we talked about them when we're safely back home. Their job is a bit…let's just say delicate, so we can discuss that later."

Dominic shut his mouth and nodded. He peeked out of the tent at the storm. He groaned, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.

"That storm isn't going anywhere soon, so I guess we'll be camping here. Unless Stacy feels like riding in this hurricane, but I'm sure not running in it."

Donovan sighed through his nose and settled back. "Then we might as well get comfortable. And while we're at that, why don't you tell us a bit about yourselves," he said while waving a hand at the newcomers. "After all, you're going to be living in our community, and you might even be our teammates if you want."

Stacy fiddled with her hands as she looked at Christopher. He was fastidiously doodling in the dirt with a long silver claw. _I guess it's my turn then_, she thought. She shrugged.

"The same angst-filled story as everyone else I guess. I had a happy, normal life until those laws were passed. I lived in San Diego, and I'm sure you know how bad things got in the cities. Mutants were being arrested and attacked left and right. I couldn't leave the house because I was so scared of what might happen if I did. But my parents…I was a danger to the rest of my family. If they didn't turn me in, then the neighbors and other violent people would come after them."

Stacy remembered that awful night and the terror as the SWAT team tried to break down her locked bedroom door. She had made a desperate jump from her family's apartment window and onto the fire escape. She had run like never before that night, dodging down alleys and cutting through backyards. She had nearly been caught trying to break past the blocks around the city, but she had just managed to slip from their grasps and escape into the night, hitch a bus ride out of range of the city, and to disappear into the dry Californian hills. And for the next five years her routine had formed.

Stacy frowned, obviously thinking about something.

"You know, I never knew what caused all the panic to start. What caused all of this." She waved her hand outside the tent to the empty land beyond. "Because if it was some jackass mutant that screwed everything up for all of us, I'd sure like to know who it was." Her expression became very dark.

Donovan didn't allow his expression to slip, but his heartbeat jumped up a little. As a matter of fact, very few mutants knew what had caused their worlds to fall apart. The tapes of how it had begun were either destroyed or under government custody. But he knew. He had been there.

He sighed, scrubbing his glowing hands through his hair. When the Seekers had been 'founded', they had sworn several things to one another. One of them had been to never reveal the secret of what had begun it all. At least, not until Evangeline was ready. Donovan thought, as he had many times before, about what all the mutants they had saved would think if they knew that the source of most of Evangeline's power was what had cost them their lives and freedom. If they knew that 'Phoenix' was more than just a codename.

Dominic shot him a look. The Dominican boy didn't know the big secret, but he knew that Evangeline was tied very closely to the decline of their country. But he was a loyal friend, and was willing to defend that secret even if he wasn't privy to it. So, to cover up Donovan's pause, he turned to Chris.

"What about you big guy?"

Chris's blue eyes darted up. He looked uncomfortable. "Don't really wanna talk about it," he mumbled as he hunched himself into a tighter bundle.

Dominic shrugged. "That's fine, you don't have to if you don't want to. But does anyone have any funny stories? I was never one for much angst."

Donovan chuckled as he saw Chris and Stacy perk up a little. They looked like little kids about to get a treat. And it was impossible to disappoint.

"Well, there was one funny event, happened about three years ago," Donovan started his narrative. "It was actually pretty embarrassing, and if Raquelle ever finds out I'm telling this story she might just cut off my head. So, we were trying to lie low this one night after a mission…"

* * *

The room was hot and rather muggy, despite the cold air outside and the ceiling fan whirling lazily above. The only light came from a pink lava lamp bubbling on the desk.

It was obviously a young woman's room, filled with feminine articles of furniture, the makeup cluttering her vanity, and the many pictures of the good times she had had with her friends.

A sigh came from the bed as well as the sound of shifting. A pair of dark eyes slid open. They scanned the room silently before the tall figure, obviously male, slid out from beneath the covers and began collect his dark jeans and black shirt, which were littering the floor.

He had just pulled on his jeans and was slipping on his shirt when a displeased little moan came from his bed partner. "Where are you going?"

The young man smiled charmingly, the light from the lava lamp giving his companion just enough of a view of his face. "Sorry, I'd love to stay for breakfast, but I've got work early in the morning."

A pretty brunette sat up, the blankets covering her. She blinked her eyes in a sultry manner at him. "You could just call in sick, stay a little longer," she purred.

He chuckled in a sexy voice. "I wish I could, but my business doesn't really consider being sick an adequate excuse to skip."

The girl slipped out of bed, taking the sheet with her. She traced a finger over his lean-muscled chest while wearing a mock pout on her face. Her eyes hungrily devoured his sleek physique and his angular, handsome Asian features.

"Poor baby. Well, if you have to go, don't forget to call me sometime."

The young man put a long finger beneath her chin and lifted it up so she was staring directly into his eyes. They almost seemed to shimmer as he grinned charmingly again.

"I'll see what I can do about that. Thanks for a fun night Ashley."

She leaned in close, running her fingers through his shoulder-length black hair. "You're welcome. And about that call…don't wait too long," she giggled.

A few minutes later, the young man slipped out the front door of her apartment building. He pulled his long black coat closer around him as he walked along the empty streets of the city. He looked over his shoulder multiple times when he heard patrol sirens passing nearby.

This had been a risky move. The first part was easy, getting the information he wanted out of naïve Ashley, but this next part was the dangerous bit. They hardly ever came together in one place for risk of discovery, but tonight was one night that it couldn't be avoided.

A light glanced across a building down the block. With fluid grace, he slipped into an alley and behind a dumpster. The thumping of helicopter blades pounded the air above his head, as the patrol chopper passed overhead, its searchlight sweeping over the buildings and street. The dark haired charmer ducked lower as the beam passed a few feet above him.

As soon as it was gone, the man decided to continue his journey through the back alleys instead of the streets. Besides, if he went by street he would soon come to the main part of the city. There were security cameras everywhere, and people caught outside after curfew would spend a lovely night in a jail cell. He wasn't particularly worried about them becoming suspicious of him; many a young person had been caught out after hours following a late night romantic intercourse. He was more concerned about the trouble he might cause, a handsome face like his being thrown into a cell with a bunch of street thugs. Of course, that concern wasn't for _his_ safety.

He weaved through the dark and narrow alleys, impeccable memories helping him to avoid any obscurely placed security cameras.

At last, his destination came into view. Just an old building, it looked like a brewery to him. With a quick glance in either direction, he darted across the street. Circling to the west side, the man found himself in an old lot, filled with rusty delivery trucks and tipped trash cans and dumpsters.

His gaze scanned the side of the building until he found what he was looking for: an old window with the glass knocked out. With sinuous leaps and a few twists, he vaulted up and through the window.

A faint thump echoed through the large space as he landed on the concrete floor. He peered around intently, searching for signs of life. It was very dark, with only a small amount of light leaking in from outside.

Another thump nearby sent him retreating back into the shadows of the old machinery. With a faint ring and a flash, he withdrew a knife from his boot. He waited tensely as he heard footsteps approaching.

When they were mere yards away, the footsteps ceased. The young man held his breath, before a female voice spoke up, saying words that had meaning to only a few.

"Now, o'er the one-half world, nature seems dead." He relaxed, just before hearing the snort as the voice spoke again. "Seriously, how melodramatic is that? Couldn't we pick like, a normal password? Like Bravo Leader or Open Sesame?"

The young man chuckled as he stepped out of his hiding place, at the same time taking a glass orb from one of his pockets. The insides were tangled with coppery wires, and when he tapped the orb against the wall they lit up with an orange glow. "And wicked dreams abuse the curtained sleep," he countersigned before replying to her question. "You know, you shouldn't just blurt that kind of stuff out. I might have been an imposter."

He was faced with a girl, a good deal shorter than him, with wild brown hair and sharp features. She wore a black sleeveless body suit and light body armor, her hands covered in black fingerless gloves. She rolled her hazel-brown eyes at him.

"I should have known you would be the first here Rin. I guess I owe Colin five bucks. Again."

"Codenames only once you've entered the premises," Rin said with a smirk, setting down his light orb. His teammate, real name Raquelle Martinez, just rolled her eyes again.

"Whatever you say, _Mainframe_," she tittered in a high-pitched voice, giving him a salute.

"He's right you know. We can't risk being discovered. There is too much at stake." Out of the shadows stepped another member of their late night rendezvous. A lithe, petite girl had joined them. Her midnight black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, with two sweeps of hair at the front hanging loose at the sides of her face. Her skin was a creamy tan, softening her already prettily rounded Chinese features and unusual blue eyes. She wore an ink-black body suit with no sleeves but long arm bands that reached from her wrists to her elbows. Silvery armored boots reached up to her knees.

Mainframe nodded to her. "Nice to see you again Sentry. How have things on your end of the grapevine been?"

The girl shrugged one shoulder, her face a perfectly straight mask of professionalism. "Not as productive as I would have liked."

A familiar snorting laugh announced the arrival of their fourth member. "Yeah, the world just loves throwing us its screwballs, emphasis on the screw." This figure was obviously male, unusually tall and muscular. Shaggy black hair covered his head, but it was not quite long enough to cover his mischievous brown eyes. He wore simple jeans, a white tee-shirt, and a leather jacket.

The four strangely dressed and deadly individuals faced each other in a diamond formation, one at each peak. It was silent for a minute before the black haired boy crossed to the young Asian man.

"Mainframe, wassup my man?" he asked with a purposely dorky grin. Rin smirked again as he used his finger to hit a button on his watch. His form flickered a bit before reforming. Nothing had changed except his eyes, which had gone from dark brown to a warm amber gold.

"Only the usual cloak and dagger my friend." The two boys clasped hands, like old military veterans meeting again after a long time. Raquelle smirked.

"You two totally have a bromance going on; I don't care how many times you deny it." The two glared at her, before she came forward. The taller boy threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Replica, my main girl, you never change do you?"

She sent him an evil grin. "I don't really see why I should Nyx."

Sentry remained on the outside of the group, watching a bit tenuously. These kinds of meetings were always a bit awkward. The other three had known each other for quite a while. She had been with them for little over a year. Then Mainframe broke away and held out his hand to her.

"It really is good to see you again Sentry. At least, in a situation where I'm allowed to acknowledge that I know you from Eve." She simply smiled and shook his hand.

"The same to you. But we did come here for a purpose. Is this everyone?"

Nyx tapped what looked like a cheap watch on his wrist. With a flicker, a hologram sprung to life in the air above it. He stared at the floating screen for a second before shutting it off again. "Yep, that's everyone. Acorna is on babysitting duty, Flashfire and Ashcloud are busy, and Luck and Lupus couldn't afford to get out tonight."

Sentry nodded. "Then we four are representing the Coverts then."

Replica clapped her partially gloved hands together. "Alright then, let's get this show on the road. In the morning I have to get back to being my mild mannered alter ego, with the ever exciting job as law firm secretary."

Mainframe pulled something else from his pocket. It looked like a pocket knife, but when he pulled out the attachments it looked better fit as a James Bond gadget. With a click of a button a blue pen light popped up. Holding it high, he spun in a slow circle, the light shining into every corner. Then he clicked it off, turned on a new attachment with a green light, and set it down beside his glowing orb. "Area's secure," he said. Replica stared longingly at his device.

"You have to make me one of those."

"Later," he said vaguely, causing her to pout. "The scrambler is on; if anyone has this place wired or watched, their equipment won't work. Now, what have we got? Sentry?"

The Asian girl stepped forward. "I was able to work my way into the BioTech and the Genesis Pharmaceutical Industry employee pool. I'm only at intern level for the moment, but that alone should be able to get me a lot of information. With a few more promotions I might be able to crack their defenses from inside, and find the info we need."

"Have you got anything valuable yet?" Mainframe questioned.

"I do have one big lead. The vice president of BioTech had some big investments in several Universities and institutions specializing in genetic research a few years back. It's the best I have so far, though it isn't much, but BioTech is in hot water already by my standards. It bears looking into."

Mainframe nodded. "Good. Remember, we don't expect miracles from you Sentry. Without you on the team our progress would have been nearly cut in half. Just work at your own pace and be careful." The girl nodded in compliance. Mainframe gestured to Nyx next. The other boy shrugged.

"Not a whole lot to uncover from old warehouses and storage facilities. I was able to thumb through some old records left behind, but most were just shipment information and tax reports. I found a few suspicious things, but I highly doubt we'll get much out of them. Sorry."

Replica was next. She was probably the most enthusiastic about her duties, which was little wonder. Replica lived for the risk, and her job was probably that of the highest stakes. She cracked her knuckles with a pleased expression on her face.

"Cracked about four offices and I was even able to get past their firewalls and into the system, for about five minutes. But huzzah, luck was with me. I hit something juicy, if I do say so myself." From a pouch at her hip she withdrew what looked like a USB drive and tossed it to Mainframe.

"Thought you would want to see what was on that. Don't worry, I covered my ass on the way out. They think it was a rival company running a test hack, and they believe nothing got out."

Mainframe examined the USB. "What was the nature of your find?"

Replica cracked a devilish grin. "I happened to uncover a lot of lab records and reports on testing. From what I was able to find, they haven't even come close to hopping the immunity barrier. Also, I found a partial list of ingredients. It might just be from the experiments, but my fingers are crossed that I hit the bull's eye. This might very well be what we need to help find the cure."

They all cast glances around, trying to stifle the hope that could be seen glittering there. Mainframe restarted the reports. "Good job Replica. If this is that bull's eye then we should be able to clear out of this area by the time spring rolls back in."

"And what about you?" Sentry asked.

Mainframe shook his head. "I'm still working on getting into both BioTech's and Genesis's central systems. They really are top of the line; it's taking all my skill to find a way past them without triggering alarms. However, I was able to get some information out of CEO Hanson's PA through domestic means."

Replica snickered. "Domestic means? Really?"

"Bow-chica-_wow-wow_!" Nyx chimed in.

Mainframe stared hard at the two who continued to giggle. "You know I don't take pleasure in that; it's deceitful, but I do what I have to in order to complete the mission."

"We know that," Nyx said, raising his hands. "It just seems a little unfair that you get some on the side while I'm scrounging through dusty warehouses and the girls play skirts for a bunch of pompous suits. That's all," he said innocently.

Mainframe continued to stare judgingly before he returned to his report. "Anyway, I was able to learn that the CEO drew out at least 50k from Genesis' earnings pool. The money was wired to an unknown source out of state. The girl wasn't sure where it was going, but I will be looking into it. However, I think we might learn more about it from Raquelle's branch of work."

Replica arched one eyebrow. "You want me to get the dirt on the CEO? Hmm, that's a challenge. I'll get on that, but I might have to call in Gemini for some help on that."

Mainframe frowned a bit. "If you need to then go ahead, but make sure you don't call her in until it's absolutely necessary, and even then, make sure she can't be in any way traced back to these activities. She may be loyal to us, but she isn't a Covert. If her cover is blown then we might not be able to reach her in time." Replica nodded fervently. She was good friends with the mutant Gemini; she wouldn't allow her to be hurt while helping them.

The Asian boy peered around. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" His teammates shook their heads. "Alright then, we should go back to our homes. Remember, be careful and be vigilant. Good luck."

With whispered sentiments of a similar nature, the other three mutants faded back into the darkness. Rin peered around and listened as their footsteps faded away. Once all was quiet again he snatched up the glowing orb. With a tap it was extinguished and the blackness plunged over him. A quick patter of feet sounded, and then a shadow swooped through the open window and vanished.

* * *

_LIGHT, NOISE, TOO MUCH, TOO BRIGHT. WON'T STOP!_

The boy gasped as he stumbled along. His sharp senses were being overloaded as sensory input flooded to his brain too quickly, too strongly. He wanted to crumple to the floor and scream, but he refused to give in to the urge. This was his one chance, and he wouldn't let it slip away.

_PAIN, TOO MUCH. MUST ESCAPE!_

_No, wait. There's something else, something I can't leave behind. Someone else…_

The world began to swim into a solid picture, rather than just a swirl of light and darkness. The roaring in his ears became his own pounding footsteps, blaring alarms, and aggravated voices nearby. A deep rumble began in his chest and worked its way out of his clenched jaws as a growl. His vision tinted red. He hated those voices. He would tear their owners to shreds, but first he had to find someone.

He heard feet approaching fast. Barely aware of his actions, the boy ducked into a broom closet and held very still. The feet ran past, missing him. Gasping for air, he leaned back against the wall, trying to get his head on straight. Steadily his comprehension returned, and with it a stronger rage. He needed to find someone and then escape. Then those monsters would pay.

_Concentrate. Use those skills you've been forced to gain. Put them to use, use them against THEM._

Lifting his face, the boy took in a deep inhale. He could find his way around this place blindfolded. All he had to do was follow his nose. His head snapped to the left as he caught the scent he was searching for. He darted out of the closet and sprinted off down the dark hallways. The fluorescent lights that had once lined the ceiling were blown out and sparking now, temporarily lighting up his way in flashes, rather like flickers of lightning.

The scent grew steadily stronger, and with it more scents, scents that increased his fury. Smells like antiseptic, chemicals, blood, and worst of all, fear.

At last he reached the doors that blocked him from the owner of the scent. They were locked, but stupid doors weren't going to stand in his way.

They cracked and screeched, before crumpling inward under the blows of his powerful shoulder. He burst inside, his eyes darting about.

It was a lab, filled with all kinds of equipment that was now shorting out. In the center of the room was what appeared to be a giant stasis tube filled with greenish liquid, big enough to hold a man. In fact, this was actually what it was holding.

The boy snarled and plunged forward. As he ran, long black claws grew from his fingertips. With a roar and a slash he severed the power cords connected to the tube. Then, drawing back his fist, he slammed a powerful blow against the glass. The skin of his hand shredded and spilled blood, but within moments the tears resealed. The glass splintered under the blow but didn't break. This time, he threw his whole shoulder against it.

An explosion of glass and slimy green liquid cascaded out. The boy resisted the pull of the flow, catching the suspended body in his arms as it fell. He dropped down, holding tight to his charge.

Snarling the whole time, he proceeded to rip the electrodes, wires, and oxygen mask away from his fellow prisoner. A gasp erupted from the young man in his arms, followed by weak coughing and choking. The other boy's skin shone with the gooey fluid, his long dark hair plastered to his forehead. He looked frighteningly pale. The conscious boy looked down and fought the urge to go into a berserker rage. Protruding from his friend's knuckles were three long and deadly blades, like foot long claws. Blood was still pooling from the wounds and running along his arms in rivulets.

More voices, coming closer. They were running out of time. Desperately, he shook his ailing friend.

"Casey? Come on man, wake up. We have to get out of here, now! Casey!"

Light brown eyes flickered open and stared blearily up at him. "M-Matt? W-what'sss…going…?

"No time dude. Sorry about this." Casey moaned as Matt hauled him forcefully upward, his pallor growing even whiter. Matt broke into the fastest sprint he could manage with his equally tall friend draped over him like a wet scarecrow.

They sped along the halls, Matt following his nose toward the freshest air. Suddenly, he skidded to a halt.

"Damn it! They've got the doors blocked. We're going to have to find another way out."

Casey panted. "No…no time. I can…help." He raised his bloody arms, brandishing the six blades now attached to him. Red light glinted off of their tips. "Put me by the wall."

Matt complied, lugging his friend over toward the wall. With a deep inhale and a hiss of pain, Casey swung his arm up and brought the claws down at the wall. Four swipes later and a square hole had been cut, a perfect escape route.

The two pounded across the snowy impound lot, trying to block the screaming sirens from their sensitive ears. With another slash of metal claws they ripped through the outer fence and plunged into the fir trees of the surrounding forest.

Their footsteps crunched and crackled as they darted through the trees. Dogs bayed behind them and more pounding footsteps swung into pursuit.

Matt chanced a glance back. He could see the beams of flashlights cutting through the branches, steadily gaining on them. He pulled to a halt in the middle of a clearing.

"Matt, what the heck are you doing?"

Matt slipped Casey out of his grip and hauled his friend toward the trees. "We won't be able to outrun them. They'll catch us if we keep going like this. You go on ahead and I'll hold them off for as long as I can."

"Are you nuts?" Casey rasped. "You're basically just handing yourself back to them! Can't you go full shift and run us out of here?"

Matt shook his head. "If I go full shift they'll just pull the Boomer out on me. The loud noises are bad enough now, if I go full shift it will knock me out for sure. Get out of here! I'm not leaving you behind like a coward, but both of us are going straight back to them unless one of us stays behind. If I have to go down, so be it."

"I'll fight too," Casey growled as he brandished his new claws.

"No, just run. You'll be healed up in a few hours, but right now you couldn't beat a housecat. Just go now, before it's too late!"

Casey opened his mouth to argue again, but Matt snarled powerfully at him. His face was angry, but pleading too. He just wanted his friend to run and be safe. The other boy closed his mouth, gripping his friend's shoulder for a moment in solidarity, before he turned and hauled off into the woods as fast as he could go.

Matt turned. They were almost on him. He smiled predatorily and his face changed. His face lengthened into a muzzle-like shape as his teeth grew into fangs and his eyes went from dark blue to gold. Long black claws sprouted from his fingertips and toenails, his ears grew pointed, and thick dark fur covered his skin. The werewolf mutant dropped into a semi-crouch on his long, powerful haunches. His knuckles cracked as he flexed his hands, preparing for the fight that might very well end his life. He bared his teeth in a defiant sneer as the first figures burst into his clearing.

"You wanted me, you got me," he growled in a much deeper and deadlier voice. "Now let's dance."

His roar near shook the ground as he lunged, claws brandished.

* * *

_**Next chapter: **Even further introductions and we see a bit of Evangeline. _


	4. Outcasts

**X2: Survivors**

Stacy was exhausted. Roughly two days and three nights of riding onward through mostly winter storms had drained almost all of her energy. Her clothes were constantly damp, she was aching with stiffness and chill, and she was beginning to be concerned about falling asleep on her bike. She couldn't imagine ever being more relieved when Donovan told them that their journey was almost over as the night began to end.

The eternally smooth purr of her bike was just starting to lull her dangerously close to sleep when she heard a shout from Donovan in his car.

"We're almost there. Another half hour or so and we'll be able to have a good, long sleep."

"Thank you God," Stacy moaned in relief.

Sure enough, just as she felt as if she couldn't go much farther, the outline of a large cluster of buildings came into sight. The vehicles revved as they sped even faster towards their destination.

They entered an abandoned town, or a very small city. Stacy peered around as they rode. She took in the depressing sights of abandoned homes, empty stores, and a barren play park in the center of the town. The rusty swings creaked forlornly as the biting wind swung them back and forth, swirling the snowflakes about with their back and forth motion. The thick snowflakes muffled almost all sound, so the town truly did live up to the term ghost town.

The small procession wound its way through the streets until they reached a small warehouse district.

Slowly, Donovan motioned for the vehicles and for the running Dominic to halt. The engine sounds died as they slid to a stop in a narrow alley. Donovan climbed out and made his way to a heavy looking door set in the south wall of one of the buildings. After peering around for a minute, the black-haired boy removed a thin metal wand from his pants pocket and then proceeded to tap and scrape a complicated pattern of sounds. With one last clang against the door he stepped back and waited. For a minute there was nothing, before with a deep groan the door heaved open.

Stacy and Christopher gulped a bit. The boy standing in the doorway was very tall and muscular, and was carrying, of all things, a futuristic looking battle axe. His eyes were sharp, both dangerous and intelligent. But the moment he saw them the grim expression vanished to be replaced by a kind smile.

"You are back. Good, some of the others were getting worried. Come in, Hell has frozen outside," the boy said in a Russian accent. Then a confused look came over his face as he peered around. "Where is Evangeline?"

Donovan answered as he shepherded everyone inside. "Said she had to be somewhere else. She'll be back as soon as she can." The Russian nodded, seeming to get what he was talking about.

"Well," he said as he turned to the new recruits. "It's nice to have you with us. I am Nikolai Dmitriev. Let's go further in, it's much warmer inside."

The two newcomers tagged along in the young man's long strides. They wound through a couple of narrow corridors, and as they went farther in they could begin to hear the sounds of life. Stacy and Chris felt their heartbeats speed up a bit. It had been a long time since either had had much interaction with many people at the same time. They were both nervous and excited.

When they finally stepped into the center area, they were both a little overwhelmed. There was so much noise and bustling of people that it was a little hard to take in at first. When they at last got their senses about them, the two observed a large square common area with a very high ceiling. The lighting higher up was industrial and rather pale, but lower down the light of candles and old lanterns gave it a warmer glow. Littering the room and nearly hiding the whole floor were old recliner chairs, bean bags, blankets of all sizes and thickness, and pillows. It almost reminded Chris of the little rat's nest made of fabric scraps he had found in the house he had been hiding in. But instead of rats or mice, the room was crowded to the very farthest corners with mutants. The oldest of them couldn't be over twenty three or so, but there were still many of them. Groups of little kids barely out of their toddler years sat around an ancient television that kept flickering in and out of focus. Slightly older mutants were sitting or lying on the cushioned floor reading, tossing a baseball around, playing cards, or napping in the tangled heaps of bedding. Several of the oldest residents were slumbering to the best of their abilities in the chairs.

At the sides of the room were several metal staircases that wound upward around the walls, leading to different rooms and hallways on the higher floors. From an open doorway in the south wall of the common room came the smells of actual hot food.

"They're back!" Suddenly a swarm of little children came flowing toward them, while the slightly older ones drifted over more slowly, still curious enough to investigate. Stacy and Chris stared as the tiny mutants bobbed around Dominic and Donovan, asking questions and just being generally noisy. Two boys who were obviously twins jumped up on Dominic's back, who proceeded to deliver a thorough tickling. Soon the Latino teleporter was swamped under a tide of children who realized someone older had the energy to play. Donovan meanwhile told the kids about all the adventures they had while they were gone. Stacy smiled faintly. Even in their waste of a world, these _teenagers_ had managed to bring back some happiness to others.

Chris, who was slightly behind the others, suddenly jumped forward with fright when he heard a strange noise, like the slide and hum of a copy machine, nearby him. He turned and saw a lopsided mirror on the wall. It shifted in texture oddly, going from a glass-like appearance to more resemble the surface of a silver bubble. The surface bent weirdly before a dart of light shot out of it and reformed into a human shape, all within the span of a second or so. The human shape finally redefined into a well-built boy with whitish blonde hair mussed into careless disarray on one side. A lopsided grin spread casually across his face and his strangely two-tone eyes glinted.

"Oh good, we've got newbies," he said. "It's always good to see new faces. I'm Gabriel Carter or Tcelfer on missions." He stuck a hand out to Chris first, who slowly shook it. He then cast his glance to Stacy with his smile becoming obviously more flirtatious.

"And what's your name beautiful?"

Stacy crossed her arms, wondering whether to be amused or annoyed. She still felt a little disconnected from other people and was having trouble responding to things properly.

"Stacy Blackstone," she mumbled in an unintentionally irritable tone. Gabriel however didn't seem to care much and good naturedly clapped her on the shoulder. It was a bit shocking, but not unwelcome.

"It's nice to meet you both, now that you're joining our little club. But first, I bet you're hungry. Come on and you can get some decent food. By the way, what's Limb been feeding you; those disgusting sandwiches?"

"I take them along because they don't spoil and they give a lot of energy," Donovan said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not a fan of them either, at least not for the taste."

Gabriel shrugged. "Where's Evangeline? Off doing her lone wolf thing again?" The nod he received confirmed his suspicions as he shook his head with a half smirk on his face.

The newcomers followed Tcelfer as he dodged about among the Nest, as they had heard the little kids calling it. It seemed an appropriate title. They passed through the open doorway and entered what were once probably a facility kitchen and a once-separate dining area. The wall dividing the two rooms had been knocked down to join the rooms together. The kitchen area was filled with concrete counters and ancient appliances. Anywhere else where there was space were scattered a hodgepodge of tables and chairs. The places were already beginning to fill up with people. Moving about the kitchen area was a small team of mutants preparing a meal. Stacy and Chris watched as one boy balanced an old pan in his flaming hand while stirring something in a pot with the other.

"You arrived just in time for the early breakfast," Gabriel told them. "We have to have two because we have too many people to fit in this room at one time. Also, some of us are really early risers while others like to sleep in until almost noon. After you eat you'll be introduced to the rest of the Seekers, but for now go ahead and grab some grub. We'll see you later," Gabriel said before slipping from the room.

Stacy and Chris needed no more persuasion. They joined the queue of hungry mutant boarders as they filed in for their food. They then found spaces near the ends of the plethora of tables. The food, while certainly not gourmet, was hot and reasonably plentiful. And barely before they were aware of it, the pair found themselves beginning conversations with a few other young mutants.

They were just chatting amicably when they heard Donovan calling to them from the doorway. Jumping up they followed him out as he led them up several flights of stairs and into a small room with only a few couches and chairs. A group of only about seven, not including themselves, sat or stood around. They all looked up as Donovan led them inside.

"Guys, these are Stacy Blackstone and Christopher Nightingale. Stacy and Chris, meet the X2 Seekers. You've met Tcelfer and Amplitude," he said, gesturing to the two boys. "Also here we have Patricia West, or Pause. We call her Trish." He pointed out a tall and bony blonde with frizzy hair and glasses. "Then there is Dominic Valdez, or Jump, Courtney 'Ivy' Davis, and Spring Sommers who is also called Ripple. The last two guys are Draco 'Astro' Mannik, and Tyson Morris codename Skyline." Each Seeker nodded or waved when they were introduced.

Stacy looked around. "There are fewer of you than I expected. You seem to have made a lot of impact for so few people."

Pause spoke up. "It's a risky occupation. Some people leave, some join other teams, and some people never make it back from missions. But we work to do whatever we can to help." The statement sounded blunt and grim, but no one could doubt the sincerity of it.

Donovan spoke again. "Basically, now it's just your choice whether or not you'll join us as Seekers or if you'll just stay here for shelter. You can see that most people don't choose to join us, and that's perfectly fine."

There was a moment of silence before Chris spoke up. "I'll join you. I want to help others like you helped me."

"Me too," Stacy said. She was sure of her decision; it felt right. The Seekers grinned at them. It had been far too long since newcomers had joined their small force.

"Alright," Donovan nodded. "Then all that's left for us to do is for you to pick codenames."

After some moments of thought, Stacy declared herself Static and Chris became Lotusfire. Their new team approved of the names, but when Trish spotted the two yawning widely she stood up.

"Let me show you your rooms. When it's proper daylight outside we can start getting you familiar with the place and the routines. Also, you'll need to start some training."

The tall blonde led them from the room and up several more flights of stairs. When she reached the floor she was headed toward, she pointed down the corridor in both direction.

"There are dorm rooms with space on this floor, the girls' one is the fifth door down on the left, and the boys' is on the third door up on the right. There should be some spare pillows and sleeping bags inside."

The two new Seekers separated into their respective rooms. Stacy pulled open the door to see a small space with a slanted roof. It was a good thing that Stacy was not a very tall girl, or she might have bumped her head upon entering. Despite the small amount of room, every spare space of floor was crammed with mounds of blankets or with sleeping bags.

Stacy suddenly felt a wave of depression wash over her. Just looking at this setup brought all the misery of her world rushing back. Her whole race was condemned to this, hiding in abandoned buildings like rodents, or worse. There were no X-men, no fair government, and no strong heroes that could liberate them from this dystopian present.

_Maybe this is why I chose to be a Seeker, _she thought. Maybe this way, something could change. But like Trish had said, it was a hazardous occupation. She couldn't hope for miracles too soon.

After retrieving a spare sleeping bag and pillow from the corner, Stacy set up her own place near to a glassless window in the wall, which was covered by a tacked up blanket to block out some of the cold. Peeking out, she observed the snow-covered wilderness, and the faint hue of orange from the approaching sunrise tinting the clouds.

_Welcome home Stacy_, was her last thought before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

The sun was rising cheerily into a clear sky. The faint sound of bird song drifted about on the roaming wind. But no matter how cheerful the morning appeared it couldn't quite erase the aura of despair drifting over the land from the city skyline, around which was wrapped the belt of the mutant community, slaves to their captors and to their genetics.

There was an abandoned barn not far out of the belt; close enough to see clearly the outlines of the power plants, factories, and electricity/power towers that painted a crude and harsh industrial scene over the landscape, but far enough that it was out of range of any human eyes watching from the large walls trapping the enslaved mutants inside. Inside this barn was a threat, one of very large proportions. Not that the humans knew that.

There was a sneeze from somewhere in the dusty interior.

"I'm sick of waiting! I don't even know why we're still here, we could pull this off now and be done with it," a voice hissed. It belonged to a girl who was crouched among the rafters of the barn, perched with utter ease in the precarious position. She was an exotically pretty girl, with slanted and angular features that set her apart from any other Ms. Americana with similar blonde hair and fair skin. Her larger than average eyes glinted like liquid silver in the sun that was leaking in.

Her complaint was aimed at her leader, who was sitting on an old haystack below her. The young man looked up, intense green eyes set in an equally grim face. He frowned up at the female in the rafters.

"I told you, he said that if he felt like joining us he would meet us here at this time. Now be patient."

The girl scoffed. "I don't see why we need him. He isn't really one of us, and how useful could he be? He can't even talk."

The dark-haired boy growled. "He's a mutant with power, which we could always use, and I think no talking would be an improvement right now. If you weren't one of our strongest fighters Spice, I would have kicked your ass out long ago."

The pretty girl snorted as she dropped from the high ceiling. She landed perfectly on the balls of her feet with hardly a sound. She smirked as she swayed her way towards her leader, sashaying with as much confidence and swagger as her obvious beauty permitted.

"Is that the real issue here James?" she asked, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes as she drew nose to nose with him. "Or is it because I'm not a certain mutant by the moniker of Sonata? I'm not good enough for you?" She put on a false pout, leaning in close to James with a patronizing glare in her silver eyes.

"I think that's enough Antonia," mumbled a quiet voice from a darker corner of their hiding place. The speaker was mostly hidden in shadow, but a strange buzzing noise was coming from that direction.

Spice, or Antonia, curled her lip into a convincing snarl. "Don't call me that. It's just Tonia." Nevertheless, she stalked away from her leader. With a tremendous leap, she caught onto the rafters again and returned to her perch. "Well he better get here soon or I'll go by myself."

"No you wouldn't," James said coldly. "Not without my orders." He then resumed his silent waiting as the sun climbed higher.

Time passed and Spice grew steadily more restless. She paced about, jumped around on the different structures, and then began to sharpen a pair of wicked-looking Sai blades. She was grinding away at the metal with her whetting stone with intensity, when she suddenly stiffened up. Instantly, Spice's face shifted. Silver fur sprouted from the skin all along her body, and her features changed to those of a feline. Silvery claws erupted from her hands as Spice let out a cougar-like roar, whirling around and brandishing her weapons.

"Spice, cool it! Claws back in. It's just him," James said as he pushed away from where he had been leaning. He went forward to meet their new guest. "Glad to see you again Dane."

The arrival was another boy with a slim build and dark hair, dark turquoise eyes flashing in the golden light. His face was serious, but strangely open. He didn't speak, but merely shook hands with James, nodding his head in place of words.

James turned to his two companions. "You guys have never met before, so an introduction is probably in order. This is Danish Khan, he's worked with the Outcasts before, but he prefers to move around."

Spice, having recovered from her aggression and momentary anger at being called off, sent him a winning smile. Danish returned it with a raised eyebrow and slightly quirked lip. His face was surprisingly expressive despite his overall seriousness. Whether it was just a natural trait or something he had adapted because he was mute was unsure.

"Hi there," Spice said. "Tonia Hart, also called Spice." She winked at him, and this time both of his eyebrows rose.

The third Outcast paused in his dark corner, before slowly moving forward into the light. While his companions were average looking enough with the occasional anomaly, this boy was beyond all doubt a mutant. He was utterly devoid of hair anywhere on his pale profile. His facial features, while shaped to be handsome, were badly marred by large black eyes that were segmented and faceted like that of a bug. They were highly unnerving with no focus or pupil to speak of. The forearms, hands, and abdomen of his black and olive uniform were left exposed, revealing the most disturbing aspect of his mutation. The exposed areas were pock-marked with tiny orifices in the skin, which seemed to bubble and stretch in odd places. Crawling in and out of these openings were glittering black wasp-like creatures, their flapping wings creating a perpetual field of buzzing around their host and creator. The boy seemed to have no issue as they crept up and down his arms and stomach and then back into his body.

Danish cocked his head, his eyes widening a bit at this mutant. The wasp boy halted, eyeing him apprehensively and a bit defensively. But he relaxed when the mute young man's expression softened a bit, and he held out his hand. The wasp boy shook it, looking slightly pleased when one of the black wasps crawled over Danish's hand and the other boy didn't even react.

"Cornelius Fraas," said the wasp mutant quietly. "I'm also known as Hive."

Dane nodded, before he mouthed one word, motioning to indicate himself. _Scream. _

Spice giggled a bit. "Ironic codename for someone who can't talk." Danish sent her a look that clearly said, _just wait and see. _

"Now that the introductions are done with, I think we can get to planning," James said. The others looked at him with an aggressive eagerness as they thought of the task they were to enact soon. Their leader held up his hands in a halting gesture. "Not quite yet. Planning for this job is essential, because it won't be any half-assed break and run this time. This is a big project. This time, we'll be breaking out as many mutants as possible, and nothing is going to get in our way as long as we set this up right."

Spice snarled with eagerness, her silver cat tail whipping back and forth with anticipation. "Just tell us what to do and it'll happen."

James Mortant, codename Phalanx, smiled a bit. Spice might be hotheaded and reckless far too often, but there was no denying she made the Outcasts proud. She was strong, stubborn, and not afraid to do what needed doing in order to fulfill her missions. Reaching back into his haystack, Phalanx retrieved a black backpack that bulged out in places. Zipping it open, he removed blue prints, photographs, a well-drawn map, several metallic objects that might have been keys, and several small communication devices. He placed the paraphernalia on top of a crate before placing his hands on it and leaning forward toward his team.

"We have two days to set this up before zero hour. Then, it's jailbreak time."

* * *

Dakota panted as she scratched at her power suppression collar, thanking the heavens that the first shift was over. With mutants who possessed power over plants, their slave masters could now work their crop fields year 'round. Her muscles were aching and her legs felt like jelly. Baling hay required mutants with enhanced strength to drag the bales along rather than waste fuel by using farming equipment. Dakota fell under this category, and now her muscles burned with acid and her hands were badly scratched from the stiff stalks. Unfortunately, she would only get a brief lunch before being shunted along to the power and electricity centers to continue working on the towers.

Suddenly, a loud blare came from the loudspeakers mounted on metal poles planted all around the mutant compounds. A droning voice echoed over the fields and work zones.

_**MUTANT WORKERS OF SECTIONS 15 AND 16 WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM SECOND SHIFT DUE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS IN WORK AREAS. REPORT TO THE HEAD OF YOUR WORK STATIONS AND RETURN TO YOUR RESIDENCE DISTRICTS.**_

Dakota stood straight, feeling both relief and disgust. The whole announcement was bogus; if there were hazardous conditions then mutants would be the ones that had to deal with it. They only made this kind of announcement when the work masters ended up killing one of the workers, whether on accident or on purpose. The humans had had to put down more than one furious uprising from the slaves when one of their kind was blatantly slain in front of them. So the high ups liked to make sure no mutants were in the vicinity while they handled clean up. How they thought that the mutants didn't know what was going on was a mystery to her, but Kota simply suspected humans just thought they were little smarter than animals.

But whatever the circumstances, Kota did feel grateful for the break, however unsympathetic to the random dead mutant it might be. Now she had the rest of the day to herself. She didn't even consider going back to the farmhouse, not with little douchebag Sergio lurking around.

After checking in her name with her section work head, she walked back into the shanty, fenced in community where the mutants lived. Kota headed straight for the 'bar' where mutants could go. It was hardly a bar in the sense of the word, with very little in the way of entertainment, drinks that could barely get a mouse tipsy, and cameras stationed in every corner, but it was a place one could go to socialize and at least try to shut out the cruel world outside.

When Dakota entered the place it was already packed. The mutants with some time off sat and chatted wearily, or drank, or played what little recreational games they were allowed. Which were about two things, cards and checkers.

"Kota!" She turned as the voice called to her. A hand waved to her from one of the largest tables in the rear of the room. A group of mutants she often spent time with when they had spare time was seated there. With decisive steps she weaved her way through the crowds toward them, and then slipped into a spare seat.

"Poker?" she asked as the tattered cards were dealt around the table of seven mutants, including her.

"Yep," was the reply from an absolutely gorgeous young woman who was dealing the cards. Her black hair swept around her in midnight-colored curtains, while very pale green eyes glinted in a face Michelangelo would have cut off his hand to capture. Despite her beauty though, her face had a bitter set to the features.

Dakota leaned back in her chair. "Great, Strobe's dealing. Somehow that never works out for the rest of us."

"Or maybe your poker face needs work Kota."

The wolf girl turned to look at the speaker, a boy about her age with spiky rusty-red hair and bleached blonde tips. His nose was wide, bridging over a wide slash of a mouth and a red goatee. His amber eyes glinted with teasing amusement. She glared at him.

"Shut up Leo. At least I don't wear a big ass grin on my face whenever I have a decent hand," she snapped at him.

He leaned back in his rickety chair, holding up his hands. "Geez, I was just teasing, you don't need to bite my head off. Is she always this snappish?" He asked Strobe, who merely shrugged.

The second boy at the table leaned forward. "Well Leo, you should know better than to poke the wolf." This boy was taller than Leo, with blonde hair flopping in his soft turquoise eyes.

Leo rolled his eyes. "I thought lion beat wolf when it came down to it."

"Not in a verbal fight. Kota would kick you all across the district and back again in that area." The blonde said with a slight grin.

At last, the third girl at the table got tired of the conversation. She flicked her frizzy brown curls from her face and turned her equally dark gaze across the table.

"As lovely as all this banter is, free periods don't come around that often and I would like to play some cards. Benj, if Leo wants to take his chances with Kota then let him. Should be funny. And Ty, why don't you start."

"Just like you to take over Juke," Kota grumbled as the sixth member of their party, a demonic looking mutant with red skin, horns, and shark teeth began the game. The seventh of their group, a boy named Jesse Taylor, said nothing but kept an amused smirk on his face.

Dakota looked around the table. Tyler and Leo Dyson were brothers; Benj Dents was their god/adopted brother. The three had been in the internment camps for only about two months. The odd family had managed to duck capture for some time, but then they had made the mistake of wandering too close to the city of Lincoln, Nebraska where they were caught and were now enslaved along with their brethren. Ever since coming in, Leo had gotten on Kota's nerves, but not for the reason one would think. He had a fighter's spirit, and held onto the hope of escape. He had yet to make his first attempt, and this was what bothered Kota. She admired Leo for his determination, but she dreaded the day she saw the brave young man break with the realization that he was a slave, that there was no escape. Benj was far quieter, but she could see the same determination within him. Their brother Ty though, seemed to be grasping the reality of the situation. One could tell by the resigned despair in his face.

The other three had been in the camps far longer, Strobe the longest. Her real name was Andrea Bacall, but she hadn't used the name for years. She had actually lived in Lincoln, until her fiancée turned her into the government without even allowing her the chance to say goodbye to her newborn son. There was always one day out of the year where Strobe was more depressed than normal; Kota guessed it to be her son's birthday. Juke, real name Ali Kirk, was the one Kota probably knew the best. The two often worked in the same areas and shared jobs. It wasn't a talking relationship, but there was a silent support there that both appreciated. Jesse Taylor had been here for about a year, and she had only heard him talk a few times. Not that he was unsociable; Kota just guessed he spoke only when he felt he needed to.

They dealt hands back and forth as more mutants rolled into the public building. The noise level steadily grew until everything was just a blare of sound and voices. Even with the cameras installed, the mutants could be plotting World War III and any watchers wouldn't have been able to tell.

Suddenly, Leo leaned forward. He had been wearing an odd look for quite a few games now, and Dakota had been waiting for him to say what was on his mind.

"Guys, the other day when they had me working out in the factories I found something." He hissed this even with the constant loud noise around them. Kota stiffened; she guessed what was coming.

Juke growled as she put down her cards. "What exactly was this discovery?"

Leo's golden eyes flashed with a wild light, like that of a trapped animal that sees escape. That was basically what he was anyway. "There's a weak spot in the Wall. I saw it. The humans were trying really hard to hide it, but I caught a glimpse of it. They haven't even begun construction on it yet, they were just covering the spot. This could be our chance! If we – "

"Stop." Strobe's voice was quiet but firm. Her pale eyes looked around the table, at Jesse's perked interest and the rising hope in Benj's eyes. Leo looked at her incredulously.

"What do you mean stop? We have a chance at freedom for God's sake!" he continued to hiss. "All we would need to do is find a time where the guards aren't around…"

Juke snorted bitterly. "Do you really think you're the first to try and escape? A thousand and one ways have been attempted to get out of this hellhole and not one of them has succeeded. I honestly doubt that sneaking through a hole in the wall is going to pull the wool over the humans' eyes."

Benj looked up, coming to his brother's defense. "Are you guys just going to lie down and submit to being slaves forever? You're not even going to try!"

Strobe massaged the bridge of her nose with her fingers, suddenly sounding a hundred years old. "It's not that we don't want freedom. But we've suffered the consequences of failure too many times." Almost absently, she drew up the grey sleeve of her standard outfit. Marked on her arm were dark half-moon scars, which looked like the work of a branding iron. "I've tried to escape before. I never got far, not even beyond the Wall, and for that I was lucky. Mutants who do manage to get beyond the perimeter are brought back as corpses."

"Besides," Kota put in her two cents. "How could we possibly hope to get as far as the hole? During the day they watch us like hawks while we work, and at night our doors are locked from outside, there are guards, watchdogs, searchlights, locked fences. And let's not forget these." She tapped a naturally black fingernail against the collar around her neck that was beeping quietly. An identical copy was clamped around the neck of every mutant there. "Even if we did manage to get beyond the wall we wouldn't get far. With no powers and no transportation we'd be caught or killed within a week."

Leo narrowed his eyes, shaking his head stubbornly. "I don't care how bad the odds look. I won't just give up and let them beat me around for the rest of my life. And there is hope for us. I've heard there are mutants on the outside, ones that free our kind and take them in. Finding them might be the answer."

Juke suddenly slammed her fist down as she glared at him. The others stared in shock as she jumped up from the table and disappeared into the crowd. Strobe sighed sadly as she got up and followed the younger girl. Leo just stared with his mouth open and a bemused expression on his face.

"What did I say?" he trailed off, perplexed.

Dakota muttered without turning to him. "No one blames you for hoping. But most of us have just stopped dreaming, and it hurts to dig those thoughts up again. But you did nothing wrong. None of us have, and that's what really hurts. I'm going home," she mumbled, tossing down her cards and pushing up from the table. The boys were left sitting in silence. Jesse and Benj still had determined expressions at the thought of escape, but Tyler just shook his head hopelessly.

Across the room they were being watched by a pair of dark sapphire eyes. As soon as Kota disappeared from the bar, the Pakistani boy drained his glass of less than adequate liquor before slipping from the room himself.

Peering about carefully, and seeing no one, he trudged off in the opposite direction Dakota had taken. He refused to finger with the collar around his throat, unused to wearing it, but it was part of the façade just like the stolen grey mutant uniform.

He walked casually along the dirt roads of the mutant community, before he darted through a gap in a tall chain-link fence and into the factory district. The buildings were still bright and busy with activity from the night shift, but the stretching shadows allowed him to ghost along with no notice cast his way.

Making his way behind one of the factories, he came up to the towering Wall. It looked nigh impregnable, but for the broken gap surrounded by dark construction blocks and guards. Well, it did have guards, but the two men weren't completely cognizant at the moment. The intruder knew just the right tune to sing that would send them right off to sleep. They couldn't hear it, and their ears would be wringing for a few good hours after they woke, but they would never know of his existence.

The young man kneeled down, retrieving his three long daggers from where he had hidden them. Like a phantom, he vanished through the hole and disappeared into the outside.

He kept walking until he reached a short belt of scraggly trees. Waiting for him was Phalanx, decked in his battle uniform and his black and green mask. A tilt of the Outcast's head asked _all well?_

Scream nodded. Phalanx's grin couldn't be seen, but it could be felt.

"Things are rolling along. Come sunset after next, our enslaved brothers are going to get the taste of freedom they've been longing for. And the humans, all they deserve."

* * *

_Two days previously…_

"You wanted me, you got me," snarled the werewolf mutant. "Now let's dance." His roar shook the ground as he lunged, claws brandished.

His first strike tore through the throat of the first man, the blow throwing him aside like a rag doll. The beast inside the mutant grew in its rage as the scent of blood reached its nose. He bowled into the next line of soldiers like a juggernaut, scattering them like bowling pins.

The rattle of guns shattered the air, followed by the mutant's screams of agony and rage. His heightened senses tracked the paths of the bullets as they tore through flesh and organ, exiting out of his body on the opposite sides of their entrance. Mere moments later the wounds resealed without a blemish. His anger drove him faster and fiercer. With a powerful leap, he sailed up into the air and came back down on top of his attackers.

It was a beautiful thing, at least for him. Just the pure instinct and power in this deadly dance was something he hated to admit enjoying. But, oh did he love it. These men, these _monsters_ that would torture and cage him, Casey, and other innocent mutants deserved bloody death on the end of his claws and fangs. Lashing out his head he sank his teeth deeply into the neck of another man. The gurgling shrieks cut off as he felt the warmth drain from the body in his jaws.

He escalated his rampage, cutting down his opponents like a wolf in a flock of lambs, to put it poetically, when suddenly something hit him. It wasn't physical, but to him it might as well have been. An unfettered scream of pain ripped from between his teeth as his clawed hands tried to cover his ears from the wailing wave of piercing sound. The agonizing bombardment wouldn't stop; it was tearing his head apart from inside out. The wolf snarled as he recognized what it was. The Boomer. Filthy cowards.

Desperate, he lunged forward again, trying to remind himself that his healing factor could combat the devastating waves of sound coming from the hated device. His claws slashed through more bodies as the awful pain and pressure built. His vision was growing blurry. The snowy forest clearing was now a blur of shadowy trees, blobs of white snow, and splashes of crimson blood. He roared again. _They won't take me again! I'll die first!_

But at last the assault was too much. Still lashing out with claws and teeth, the mutant collapsed. And once he was down, he couldn't find the strength to rise again. He lay there gasping as he felt blood ooze steadily from his damaged ears. He could hear the jeers of triumph from his captors as they watched their victim collapse, unable to escape.

_I'd sooner die than go back to them, _was his supposedly final thought as his claws shifted weakly to rest on his own chest. He would tear his own heart out if need be.

But as the footsteps closed in on him and his talons just barely pierced his fur-covered skin, another sound reached his ears. It was not like the Boomer. It was deeper, more powerful, and made him want to fight until the end.

Light flared over the clearing, lighting it up like high noon. The men screamed as something roared down toward them, letting loose a scream of its own. Heat exploded around them, and suddenly Matt realized that he wouldn't be fighting alone any longer.

The girl's face was a mask of ferocity, fire crackling around her in a force field of power. Her braid of dark red hair whipped behind her and her fists clenched.

"I thought I'd drop by and even the odds a bit," she growled to him as he slowly picked himself up. Matt was confused, but not about to question this. He might not know who the heck this girl was or where she came from, but he was glad she was here.

"Thanks," he grinned. Then they both lunged.

The two were a force none of the men had ever seen before. They were used to the power, being able to tame their prisoners with shocks, loud noises, and intimidation. But here was a pair of mutants that didn't fear pain or death.

Matt fought, keeping his peripherals focused on his strange and heaven-sent companion. She didn't even use her powers. A whirl of bronze-bladed daggers cut through her opponents like the scythe of Death's reaper. Not a speck of blood could touch her as she whirled about too quickly for anything to land on her, unlike himself, drenched now in the life essence of his enemies.

At last, the clearing was empty of all life besides them. But that wouldn't last for long. More shouts and thumping of boots were coming their way. The girl turned to him, panting a bit.

"Now's our only chance. My energy is almost gone; can you run?"

Matt returned her gaze. "I'd run straight out of my own body if it got me out of here." His already werewolfish form shifted even further until he was simply an overlarge wolf. The girl nodded.

"Good, now let's go." The flame crackled around her and she lifted from the ground. With another faint shriek, her fiery form shot like a comet into the woods. The wolf pelted after her in hot pursuit.

Matt allowed his muscles to stretch themselves to the limit; it had been so long since he could really run. The trees and bushes around them melted into a river of gray light and shadow. He had never clocked how fast he could run in miles per hour, but he knew that he could hardly be seen by the naked human eye when he was up at a good speed. The golden light from the fire girl guided him on a winding path through the forest.

Then after a while of the silent run, the fire trail steadily grew more distant until it vanished. He skidded to a halt, worried for a moment, before the light reappeared a good distance off. It wasn't moving this time.

Now that he was out of the first immediate danger, Matt felt his instincts waking up again. Even though she had helped save him, he didn't know this girl or her motivations. He reduced back into his werewolf form. He padded quietly into the miniscule clearing underneath a small rift pushing the ground up into a line of small cliffs and fissures. In the triangular mouth of one of the larger holes sat the girl, poking at a pile of rocks and wood that were flickering with a healthy little fire. She glanced up at him for a moment from underneath tangled strands of hair that had come loose from her braid before returning her attention to the fire.

Matt moved forward a little more before stopping. "Who are you?" he asked. He tried not to sound too aggressive; he did owe her after all.

She looked up again, wiping off her gold gloves. "A concerned party. Here," she said, tossing something at him abruptly. He caught it before it hit him in the face. It appeared to be a greyish lump that might have been food. He sniffed at it. The response was an instant retracting of the nose, resulting in a face that might as well have just sucked hard on a lemon. A cough of disgust escaped Matt.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Well, pardon me for not bringing the gourmet," she mumbled under her breath, returning to poking at the fire even though it seemed perfectly fine.

Matt lowered the 'food' and continued to stare at her. "I was hoping for something a little more specific. Who are you and why did you help me? How did you even know where – that place – was?" he asked as he approached.

She tossed her prodding stick into their campfire. "Name's Evangeline, actually. And I have an ability to know about things beyond the normal range of view." She stopped, looking fixedly at him while chewing on the inside of her cheek. Her expression seemed a little put out. She then pointed at him. "Are you ever going to eat that sandwich? That's food going to waste there, in case you weren't aware." The tone of her voice was rather snide. Matt blinked, before reluctantly nibbling at the poor excuse of a sandwich. Meanwhile, the girl lay back on the ground and relaxed.

Matt sighed. "Again, why did you help me?"

The girl, Evangeline, peeked up at him with one eye. "It's kind of what we do. You know, play Robin Hood and liberators for the greater good and all."

"Who is 'we'?"

She clambered to her feet. "The group of mutants I work with. Basically we find mutants and give them a place to stay. There's someone back home who can give you the mechanics of it, but right now I'm bushed so, g'night." She began to retreat back into the little cave.

Matt could feel himself growing irritated. "You go to all the trouble of getting me away from death or incarceration, and now you seem totally uninterested. What's your problem?"

Evangeline, now lying down again, waved her hand languidly in the air. "Think of it like sex. Once it happens, what's the point of talking about it?" she said airily.

After this, Matt decided to just keep to himself. He wasn't entirely sure of the sanity of this girl. So he removed himself from the cave a ways, while staying within the light of the fire. He changed back into a wolf, the warm fur keeping out the cold. He scanned their surroundings with his gaze. The pine forest, despite its darkness, was comforting to him. The wolf that shared his nature was at home here. Their camp was on an incline, the land climbing upwards to mountain peaks.

_Where are we?_

Evangeline poked her head out of the hiding place, surprise on her face.

"You can speak telepathically huh? Great, I'll be blocking my dreams all night. What?" She sounded thoroughly grouchy. The golden eyed wolf blinked.

_Where are we? _Matt was sure this was the most he had ever repeated himself in one night. He was beginning to sound like a parrot.

She sighed. "Somewhere in the Appalachians I think. Ran down from somewhere around Canada. Now could you please let me go to sleep? I saved your ass earlier, I think you owe me," she grumbled. Matt let out a canine moan from his cavernous chest.

_Fine, good night. _Evangeline grunted and retreated back into her hole.

Matt lay still for a time, but one more thing was nagging at him. He really didn't want to say anything, but his nature just egged him into it.

_Evangeline?_

"_Whhaaatt!" _ She hissed in his mind exasperatedly.

_Thank you. _

The atmosphere around them, both telepathically and physically, was silent. Then another sigh came from her direction.

"_Welcome." _The telepathic mumble was barely to be heard before everything at last became still.

* * *

_A/N: I know I'm throwing a lot at you guys in only a few chapters, but I trust in the intelligence of my readers and your undoubted mongering for more juicy story bits. I also hope I'm getting your characters correctly. Half the reason I'm rewriting is for that purpose. They have to share space with a lot of other characters, so if you have any suggestions on writing your character, feel free to let me know._

_You may also have noticed I tweaked some histories for characters in previous chapters. I will be doing a lot, but that is just for story flow and convenience. The essence of the character's history is basically the same._

_**Next chapter: **__Lotusfire and Static are trained as Seekers, the Coverts gain a new member, and the Outcasts move forward with their plans._


	5. Training

**X2: Survivors**

Chris's pale blue eyes blinked open, before he uncurled himself and stretched, his jaws opening widely as he yawned. He could hear the tinny clinking of his scales brushing together as his muscles slid with the stretch.

For a moment before his vision cleared, Chris felt a moment of fear. He didn't know where he was. But then it all returned to memory. He relaxed, folding his wings neatly over his back. His ears pricked up and he turned to see Donovan standing in the doorway, Stacy a little behind him.

"Good, you're awake," Donovan said. "I was just going to give Stacy the tour if you wanted to tag along."

Chris nodded, hopping up and heading for the door. "How long did I sleep?" he asked.

"About five hours. It's a more decent hour of the morning and better for touring around. Less of a chance of running across any grouchy late sleepers."

They spent the remainder of the morning touring around the warehouse where the mutants made their home. Most of the rooms were utilized as dorms, or as storage spaces for necessities like blankets, clothes, and other miscellaneous objects that could come in handy. There was also a room dedicated to storing weapons of all varieties. For good reason it was often kept locked; it wouldn't be a pretty scene if one of the little kids got ahold of anything in there. They passed through the Nest area, where there was already a large crowd, as Donovan led them to a staircase leading down below ground level.

"Down below there is one room where we put people who get sick so it doesn't spread, but aside from that it's mostly reserved for Seeker related purposes."

"This is where we train in the skills we'll need," he said, stopping in the doorway of a large empty room filled with futons and mats. "We'll get you started on them pretty soon. You'll be learning how to use **all **of the weapons we have in the 'armory' upstairs, how to fight hand to hand in different styles, normal exercises, and practical lessons like first aid and CPR. You'll have a few days to get used to everything, and then you'll join us." He continued on through the hallways. There was another room where the Seeker uniforms were kept, a weight room, and a special medical room. It was simply a few cots and stacks of pillaged drugs. Chris and Stacy had the uncomfortable thought at the same time that it was no wonder there were so few Seekers. Even if their teammates did manage to get them home, any injured mutant would have little to look forward to aside from a less painful death.

Donovan led them back outward toward the stairs by a narrower path, walking almost between the dry walls. Suddenly, Chris pulled to a halt. His reptilian snout twitched as his eyes found a narrow door, barely discernible in the dim corridor.

"What's in there?" he asked. "It smells like people."

A serious and rather melancholy look came over Donovan's face. "We don't really go in there, but when we do it does help us to remember why we're here and what we're doing." He moved forward and slid back the deadbolt.

Chris and Stacy followed him into the room. Stacy shivered and drew closer to the interminably warm Chris, breath clouds billowing out in the cold atmosphere. The room was crisscrossed with machinery, cables, and wires. Set around the edges were clear boxes, shaped and sized almost like coffins. Within them, they could see the shapes of bodies. The newcomers gaped, for they recognized the faces inside.

"The X-men," Stacy whispered in awe. The vanished heroes were here in front of her. Only a swift glance could confirm the rise and fall of their chests, and the pale but certain flush in their skin. They were certainly alive, but not aware.

"How are they still alive?" Chris asked. "The toxin killed the older ones." He sounded utterly baffled, as if this fact was beyond the realm of his belief.

Donovan looked around. "Cryogenic preservation; crude, but it works. The toxin wasn't the only thing taken from the Rebirth project, but it was hard to get. One of our original Seekers, Rin Takahashi was barely able to nail the workings in time. We were the reason the X-men vanished and why they are now the most wanted beings on the planet. We went to them for help, but they were the ones who needed it."

Donovan stared absently at the frozen X-men. When he spoke again he sounded thoughtful and sorrowful. "You know, we may try our best to help our kind, just like the Outcasts and the Coverts do their best in their own ways. But no matter how hard we work, we're still basically kids. We can't change this world without knowing what to do. See, while we try to find mutants and the Outcasts free them, the Coverts are working the most dangerous jobs of all, hidden in the cities trying to find the cure to Toxin X. Sure, it would be great to have it if they find a way around the immunity, but the main reason is right here. With the X-men back with us, maybe we can make a real difference. Maybe we can free our kind once again."

It was all pretty silent. There really wasn't anything to ask or say. Chris looked down at the frozen mutants. He felt very small for some reason. They were glad when Donovan beckoned them from the room.

He cocked his head upward, listening to the bustling upstairs. He turned to his charges. "You can go upstairs, relax for a few days. When you're ready you can join us."

"What if we wanted to join in now?" Stacy asked.

Donovan gave her a half-smile of gratitude as they reemerged up onto the ground floor and into the Nest. "If you think you're up to it then I have nothing against it. We could use some new hands on board."

A grim voice heralded them. "We need them now." Gabriel was coming in their direction, looking a bit weary. "Trish is leaving."

"What?" Donovan was shocked.

Gabriel seemed worried as he glanced back toward where Trish could be seen speaking urgently to Dominic. "We got a message from the Coverts. They've found her sister."

Donovan's mouth snapped closed, sympathy flooding his eyes. "Gina?"

Gabriel nodded. "Dominic's taking her there, and she'll be staying until she can get her sister back. The Coverts will be waiting there to smuggle her in."

Donovan chewed on his lip for a second before leaving to speak with the distraught Trish. Gabriel turned to them.

"You should probably get a snack. If you'll be joining us in training then you don't want to be on an empty tank."

They did, and just in time as they heard a call for the Seekers to head downstairs. They swiftly plunked their dishes in the sink and jogged off to join their team in the training room Donovan had pointed out.

"Do we need uniforms?" Chris asked Nikolai as they entered.

"No, you are fine how you are. Besides, we're still preparing some uniforms for you. Oh, and in training sessions, use your codename. It helps you get used to using it."

"All right guys," Limb called. "Line up beside the mats." The new Seekers had guessed by now that Donovan was one of the leaders. He might be the only leader, but they would have to wait for Phoenix to get back to determine it.

"First off, we'll be testing our new members in their skill areas, and we'll be helping them get the hang of things throughout the day. First off is the power test." Limb motioned Stacy forward first, and then Tcelfer.

"Static, I want you to throw everything you've got at Tcelfer. Don't worry about pulling punches; he's had a lot more experience than you and he can handle himself. Don't think you have to win, just do your best to get him down." Static nodded in response to her leader's instructions. Her fingers twitched toward her belt, which held all of her pins and needles. She drew out one long pair of needles, each about five inches long, and twirled them in her hands.

Tcelfer grinned at her devilishly as they waited for Limb's signal to start. "Alright little lady, bring it on."

The moment Limb gave the signal, Static threw as much of her power as possible through her body and into her hands. She could feel the charge race into the needles, and with as much accuracy as she had, she threw them. Tcelfer dodged as one needle struck the ground and let out a blast of electricity, singeing the already severely damaged training mat. The second came flying at him, but he leapt backward and avoided it again.

Static continued her assault with the needles until she realized he was too fast to catch in a blast range. So she went instead to the less controllable but beefier battle tactic of shooting bolts out of her hands. She was a little nervous about it, seeing as the bolts could be erratic and dangerous, but the Seekers seemed adept in handling these kinds of things. Unfortunately, Tcelfer gave as good as he got. Spreading out his hands, he formed a transparent shield between them. Static realized that her bolts would do more harm to herself than good when one of her largest yet was bounced back off the shield and back towards her. She ducked just in time as her returned salvo shattered a bit of wall behind her.

The back and forth continued for a minute before Static began to feel weary. For a moment her guard slipped, and Tcelfer saw it. Before the autokinetic girl was fully aware of it, a shimmering transparent disk was sent spinning at her through the air.

Static gasped as she was thrown off her feet and onto the mat, hard, as the disk shattered on contact. The wind had been knocked out of her, and it took a moment to compose herself. A hand appeared in her vision, offering her a help up. She took it, and Tcelfer hauled her up.

"Not bad. You lasted a lot longer than I would have expected for a newcomer. It was certainly longer than I did when I first came."

"Thanks," Static said.

Lotusfire went up next, Limb as his opponent. The dragon mutant was quite nimble on his feet, using his hands, legs, wings, and tail to fight. Limb was more experienced and his psionic arms gave him abnormal strength, so the two were a good match. It drew towards a tie until Limb pulled a fast feint and shoved Lotusfire into a headlock. All in all, the Seekers were impressed and well-pleased with the two.

Next, they all got in pairs and tried some hand to hand. All of the more experienced Seekers were very good, but Lotusfire and Static weren't poor themselves. Afterwards were weapons training, and then the standard emergency medical training for the new Seekers.

"How long exactly do we train every day?" Stacy asked tiredly after hours of work.

Courtney Davis, or Ivy, shook out her bright red hair and took a sip of water from a bottle. "We started pretty late today, what with you guys getting the tour and Pause and Jump leaving. Normally we train for twelve hours or so, with breaks for meals and catching our breath." Stacy winced a bit, but it wasn't like their job could be taken lightly. This training was intended to keep themselves and their future charges safe and _living_ while out in the dangerous world.

The team braked for a quick meal and then Limb called them together again. But instead of heading back downstairs, he led them outside into the cluttered lot around the warehouse. Their leader stopped in front of them and turned back. He waved, summoning forward a non-Seeker mutant that had tagged along.

"Static, Lotusfire, this is Zachery. He helps us out with a lot of training sessions so you'll be seeing him around pretty often." He then referred his attention to the rest of the group.

"We'll be running the standard practical today, usual procedure: two teams, same goals, watch out for unexpected obstacles. Team one will be me, Ripple, Static, and Amplitude. Team two is Tcelfer, Ivy, Lotusfire, Astro, and Skyline. Zach, stay here and do your thing. Team one starts on the east, two on the west, and make your way to the old insurance building at the center of downtown. Go."

"What's going on?" Lotusfire asked, a bit panicked. He was shushed as the team jogged toward the edge of town. When they reached the outskirts they all stopped.

"What are we doing?" asked Lotusfire again.

"We're reenacting what we might have to face on a real mission," hissed Skyline, a powerfully built African-American boy with a giant gun slung over his shoulders. "Just follow Tcelfer's orders and you'll be fine." The dragon mutant nodded, still a little freaked.

"Well this is cool," Tcelfer said. "Phoenix has been the only flyer on the team for a few years now, but now we've got Lotusfire. That opens up some new possibilities. Okay, so here's what we do."

A few minutes later they heard a faint whistle, signaling the start. Inhaling deeply, Lotusfire spread out his huge black wings, the onyx scales flashing in the weak winter sunlight. With a strong thrust, he propelled himself into the air until he caught a wind draft, letting him glide as silently as a ghost. Down below, Skyline followed his flight path, dodging in between buildings and alleyways.

At first, Lotusfire couldn't see what was so difficult. He was just flying straight for the objective, until he heard Skyline whisper-shout into his old, crackling communicator.

"_**Drop!" **_Chris was so startled he did just that, barely slowing his descent before he crumpled on the rooftop. He was immediately seized and dragged behind a large satellite dish. Skyline clapped a hand over his muzzle, just as a deep robotic voice echoed over the town. Lotusfire stiffened up immediately, beginning to shake a bit.

"Relax," Skyline muttered, "it isn't real. Zach is just casting a projection of a Sentinel in our minds, so our training can challenge us more. This way we can learn to fight them without risking death, injury, or capture. We can see, hear, and feel it, but it isn't real."

That was slightly more appealing, but it didn't make Lotusfire any less tense by the sounds of clanking steps and the ominous voice. Slowly, he poked his snout out from behind their hiding place. He trembled at the sight.

He had seen a video once of the original X-men battling the first Sentinel on the news. That version had been threatening enough; these models were worse. The mutant-hunting machines had been nearly doubled in height and were a good deal bulkier. All of the former exposed areas of machinery were covered in thick, black metal armor. Red robotic eyes cast hellish search beams over the buildings and snowy streets as the huge feet rumbled over the pavement. This Sentinel might not be real, but it looked real enough to be terrifying. Lotusfire could also hear another fear-inducing sound; like metallic chattering of teeth and screeching that raised the hair on the back of his partially scaled neck.

Skyline groaned. "Zach's making it harder today, now he's adding Prowlers." The more experienced Seeker turned to Lotusfire. "I can take on the Sentinel if you can get at them. You can fly; they won't be able to reach you if you're careful."

Lotusfire gulped. He had heard horror stories about Prowlers ripping mutants to pieces when they found them. But these were just projections, not real. He could do this. He nodded.

Skyline smirked as he pulled the huge gun off his back. "Good. Because we are the distraction after all."

At the same time they both leapt out of their hiding place. In just a second of being out in the open, Skyline fired a missile at the Sentinel and Lotusfire leapt into the air. There was a false explosion as the missile made connection with the robot's head.

Chris soared over the streets, beholding his adversaries below. The smaller machines most resembled some kind of six-foot-tall demon dog, with one red eye set in the middle of the forehead. Four rows of jagged metal teeth lined their mouths and talons were fixed on the paws.

_In the air, they can't get you._ The reminder reassured him as Lotusfire breathed in deeply and dived. He opened his mouth and out spat white and violet flames. The explosive hot fire blasted the first line of Prowlers back, the rest howling and screeching angrily as he soared back into the sky. More confident now, he swept down again, letting out an even bigger stream of flames. He also lashed out his powerful tail, catching a Prowler in the face and crushing the protruding eye. It squealed metallically and collapsed, twitching uselessly. Reaching out, Lotusfire caught a Prowler in his claws. Using his great strength, he hauled it over his head and tossed it into the mass of machines. It crushed the heads of two of its fellows.

Then a weight landed on his back, clawing at his scaled skin. Lotusfire let out a deep-throated roar, dwarfing the irritating screams of the Prowlers. He flared out his wings, knocking the pack away as he struggled to dislodge the machine clinging to his back. His right hand stretched behind his back, seeking the head of the thing. Finding it, he used all his strength to crush the metal skull. A pathetic whimper was his reward as it shorted out and fell to the ground.

More of the Prowlers were converging on him, howling and snapping. Lotusfire leapt back into the air, staying high enough that they couldn't touch him. Looking around he saw Skyline dodging about on the rooftops, firing his projectiles at the Sentinel. The machine was still moving easily, despite the areas of sparking that were lighting up on its armor. The dragon boy decided to offer his teammate a hand. Swooping in a high arc, he soared over the Sentinel and dropped in on top of it. His fireball collided with the Sentinel's head, sending it reeling. This gave Skyline the chance to get to a new position where he fired off more volleys.

The two mutants tag-teamed after that, both blasting the Sentinel and their fair share of Prowlers in alternating turns. This gave their team enough time to get to the objective building, find a dummy representing a trapped mutant, and get it to safety. At last they heard a voice over their coms.

"_**Objective complete. Good job guys, you can stop unleashing Hell now."**_

Chris, now worn out and throat sore from blasting one too many fireballs, descended from the sky as the wrecked Prowlers and damaged Sentinel faded away. The rest of the two teams were waiting near the center of town.

Limb was grinning widely. "I say we were lucky to find you two," he said, gesturing between Chris and Stacy. "We've got some brand new powerhouses on the team. Evangeline's been the only one for a while, but now we've got more real fire power. You did great, and I think that deserves a break."

"Thank you," Stacy sighed happily. "I'm about ready to keel over. Does anyone know CPR?" They all glanced at her, smirking. "Oh right, I forgot. Required skill around here, huh?" There were many nods. "I'll just add that to my list then," she wheezed. She was a little surprised when everyone laughed, but after a second she joined in the chuckling. It felt good, like she was finally among friends.

* * *

Trish knocked casually on the door of the building. It was a strain not to pound desperately against the wood, but she managed to hold it in. Her breathing was quick and shallow as her gaze darted around. It was daylight and she was in the open, completely exposed. But she had been reminded that things were different here in the city. She was average looking, and no one found in a city was immediately suspected of being a mutant. As long as she kept her cool, she would be perfectly fine. But she was a Seeker and trained with a Seeker's instincts, and being out on an open neighborhood street in daylight outside of a safe zone almost always meant death or capture.

Then at last the door swung open. "Come in," said a voice from within the dark doorway. Trish slipped in with all haste, breathing out a sigh of relief when the door shut. She blinked a bit, allowing her eyes to get used to the low lighting. She was standing in the hallway of an old fashioned house. To her left was a stairway leading up to the second floor and to her right was a closed doorway. The brightest light came from a round window above the landing of the stairs.

The girl who had permitted her entry turned to her, removing a grey knit hat from her head as she did. She was shorter than Trish by a few inches and had a slim figure, to the point of being described as delicate. Her long hair was an almost white blonde that shone like faint moonbeams in the slant of sunlight. Her face was also delicately shaped with wide, soft green eyes. The only thing that signified her as one set apart, as a mutant, was the little silver horn that poked out of the skin of her forehead. The girl smiled kindly as she held out her hand.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you at last, and welcome to Boston. We've communicated over the audio lines before, but we've never met face to face. I'm Rachel Davis."

"I remember your voice. Acorna, right?" Trish asked, shaking the girl's hand.

"Yes, that's me. Come on, I'll show you around." She led Trish further into the house, opening a door at the end of the hallway.

"Kids, say hi to our newcomer."

The room was a living room, with couches, chairs, and a TV. Trish was immediately reminded of the Nest back home, but there were far fewer young mutants here, only about fifteen or so. A chorus of shy little voices saying 'hi' floated toward her. She waved with a small smile.

As Rachel showed Trish the house, the former Seeker couldn't help but ask, "How do you keep these mutants hidden here? Can't developing powers draw attention?"

Rachel nodded. "We've had some scares, but we've kept things under wraps. This place is viewed as a halfway house for orphan kids, and that keeps us fairly safe. Plus, the kids never stay long. We try to get them away as soon as possible, get them over the border to Canada where less people will be hunting them."

"But isn't your job more about… you know, espionage?"

Acorna glanced around, making sure there were no little ears eavesdropping. "Well, for most of us, yes. But I'm not a fighter, and my powers aren't really geared to that kind of work. Coverts have two jobs, finding mutants in cities and… the other one. I stick to caring for the kids and injured mutants, where I'm of more use."

By now they were holding their hushed conversation at the door to another room. "Well, this is your room," Acorna said. She opened the door to a plain room with a bed, a dresser, and a chair. "This is only temporary, before you get set up with your own place. Coverts hardly ever stay in the same place; it's too risky. So as soon as you get set up with an identity and a job you can get a place of your own. Soon one of the others will be in contact with you, let you in on your sister's position."

Trish swallowed hard, trying not to let the tears slip. It had been so long, four and a half years almost since she had seen little Gina. After so much time, she wondered what she might look like. She would be almost ten by now. _I'm here now Gina, and I'll get you back no matter what it takes. _

Acorna had disappeared from the doorway, so Trish set her meager belongings at the foot of her bed. Downstairs she heard the door open.

"I'm home, and I brought grub!" called a male voice. A stampede of tiny footsteps flowed through the downstairs hallway and into what Trish assumed was the kitchen. Slowly she got up, placing down her one valuable possession, a picture of herself and her sister, on her dresser before heading downstairs.

She entered the adjoined kitchen and dining area to see a tall young man with curly brown hair and glasses over his gray-blue eyes being 'helped' by the kids as he put away groceries. He tripped gracelessly as one little girl, who was still in the crawling stages of development, knocked out his balance. He would have crashed to the floor if the deft movements of Trish hadn't caught him and hauled him back up. He laughed abashedly as he straightened his skewed off glasses.

"Thanks for the save. You're the new girl from the Seekers, right? Pause?"

"Yep," she said.

"I'm Cody Nathan, or Chatter, and I was trying to make these scamps some lunch before one of them tried to down me. They're good kids but they have way too much time on their hands. You know, the other day I could have sworn one of them tried to pull the chandelier down on my head, and last week…"

"Okay Cody, no need to talk her head off," Rachel chuckled sweetly. "I'll make the sandwiches if you start the Kool-Aid." She gestured to the boy as he saluted goofily and got on the sugary drink making. "Cody helps me run this place. He also is a researcher for our other job." Trish had quickly picked up that it was a Covert thing to never mention the nature of the 'other job.' She would have to remember that if she was going to be here for a while; it must be a spy thing. She helped the two caretakers prepare their charges lunch.

"Wachel." Trish looked down to see a little girl tugging on Rachel's jeans. "Wachel."

"What is it Emmy?" Acorna knelt down to be on eye level with the little girl.

"I don't feel good, my tummy hurts."

"Oh, okay. Don't worry, we'll fix that. Hey Trish, can you manage the sandwiches till I get back?" Pause nodded, so Rachel picked up the little girl and carried her upstairs, grabbing some toddler medicine on the way.

Throughout lunch, Trish watched Rachel and Cody. The two were like the mother and father of way too many kids. They were either putting some hyperactive kid back in their seat, fixing someone's food that wasn't supposed to be touching, getting second helpings, or wiping off a food-covered face. For a Covert, it seemed very unglamorous. But then again, they were saving mutant kind, one little boy or girl at a time by giving them hope and a chance at life. Again, Trish felt tears stinging her throat. This was the way she should have been there for her sister. Instead, she was the reason Gina was locked up somewhere. The only way to keep herself sane was to remember that she was close, and she had to believe that soon she would be taking care of her sister just like the rest of these kids. Soon, she promised, it would be very soon.

The day passed normally enough for Acorna, Chatter, and the kids, put for Trish it was very strange. She was used to twelve hours of training, dangerous missions, and meager rations for meals. This place was secure, with heat and running water, protected from the winter outside. It would take time to adjust to this different lifestyle.

Night fell, and Trish found herself curled in an (new) armchair in the living room, watching a movie on the TV with the rest of the household. The smell of baking biscuits made her stomach rumble. Cody was passed out on the couch, while Rachel sat on the floor. A group of the younger children were piled around her, one tiny boy snoozing on her lap. It was a sweet sight, and Rachel's soft smile showed that she really cared about these kids. The atmosphere was very peaceful. Trish found herself nodding off. Normally, as a hardened Seeker, she liked to stay up very late, checking the perimeter of their home town and ensuring that all of the residents were bunked down for the night. But here was different. There was no sense of urgency, no constant threat. Their position was certainly dangerous, but here she felt less like a soldier. So for once, Trish allowed her eyes to close at their leisure as she fell asleep.

* * *

Time was ticking by to zero hour, but everything was going according to plan.

Hive blinked his black eyes, scanning about from every angle for any signs of movement. There were none. He waved a pale, perforated arm to his companion. Scream materialized from the dark beside him, the sapphire gaze looking about to confirm that there was no movement. Scream glanced at his fellow mutant. Reaching down, Scream grasped Hive's forearm, allowing one of the black wasps to crawl onto his hands. He didn't fear getting stung; Hive was their master, and they only attacked the ones he pointed out. Holding the wasp cupped in his hand, Scream motioned his head toward their target, and motioned his finger in a circle. Hive understood that Scream wanted him to send out his scouts.

Just by thinking about it, twenty or so wasps crawled out of his body and buzzed around his head. He cocked his eyes in the direction of objective, and they instantly zipped off into the night. Hive closed his eyes.

It wasn't really seeing, when he looked through the eyes of his wasps. It was more like when you're remembering a scene in your mind. You can conjure the image, but you are only remembering seeing it. The scenery was distorted, and the colors were strangely defined, with ultraviolet and infrared light glaring in the scouts' vision.

The objective building was only two stories high, at least on the surface. It was very straight, colorless, and industrial. When the time came for action, Hive and Scream wouldn't be the ones focusing on this building. But they had the job of prepping it for tomorrow night, when Spice and Phalanx would get to work on it. Hive watched through the eyes of the wasps as they circled the building, keeping a sharp eye out for a specific flashing red pinprick light. He identified fifteen of them surrounding the building.

Hive opened his eyes again as he felt the wasps return to him. He turned to his partner.

"There are fifteen of them around the edges of the buildings. The sensors reach out about twenty yards. Be careful."

Scream nodded as he slipped forward toward the building. He slunk silently along the invisible perimeter, staying out of view of any security cameras. His sharp eyes caught the first red light that signaled a sensor. The sensor measures spread out an energy field that remained on at all times. Should someone enter that energy field, they would be shocked into unconsciousness. The only way into the building was through an iron-gated pathway with multiple checkpoints and safeguards. When they began their attack, the guards and scientists inside this building would put the place into lockdown, and no one would be able to get through the one path. So Spice and Phalanx would need another way in.

Scream centered his sight on the blinking light, narrowing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he let out a breath.

Small sound waves rippled out past his lips and soared through the air. The perfectly aimed sound blast hit the sensors. Immediately, emergency lights flashed and a siren went off inside the building. Scream hauled out at his fastest speed, hearing babbling voices behind him.

He circled around to the other side of the building, listening intently as he heard people rush from the building and move around to the spot where he had just been. Right as he heard them arrive, he found another red-lighted sensor and let loose another small wave of piercing sound, too high-pitched for the human ear to catch. It hit the sensor again, setting off a whole new wave of alarms.

This game of cat and mouse continued as he set of the various sensors one after another, as the guards raged and swore trying to find the source. When Scream had triggered the final sensor, he faded away into the shadows. Hive was waiting for him at the hole in the wall.

"You got them all?" Scream nodded. "Good. We had better give it about two or three hours, before we do it again. Come on."

They settled down and waited out the time. When two hours had rolled past, they returned to the secure building. Again, Hive scouted the area and Scream triggered the sensors. They repeated this system multiple times as the half-moon floated across the grimy sky. As the sun began to rise, Hive sent out one more scout wasp, but this time listening instead of watching. It was difficult to make out what he wanted to hear, but he just barely made out the words he was listening for through the senses of his flying scout.

"They're doing it, just like Phalanx said. We're almost ready." The black, segmented eyes darted to the sky. "It's almost dawn. We'd better get away, before we're spotted."

The two vanished as the light began to leak across the sky. They went back through the hole, passing the guards that Scream could so easily knock out with a simple chirp of his powers. They then trekked the several miles back out to the abandoned barn.

The moment they entered, silver lights blinked down on them from above, an excited voice hissing. "Is it done?" When Hive nodded, the silky voice let out a glittering laugh. Scream felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck.

"Alright then chippies," Phalanx murmured from his designated haystack/bed. "Get in a good, long sleep. Tonight is going to be one hell of a party."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **__The Outcasts strike and Phoenix seeks out a lost soul. _

_A/N: Just a heads up to you all, I might not be updating for a while due to moving out of state, but I will be back to work as soon as possible. _


	6. Attack

**X2: Survivors**

The sun had set. A sliver of burnt orange light hovered on the horizon, but the night was slowly spreading over the sky once more.

Two guards stood sentry at the hole in the Wall, machine guns held in their hands. The pair weren't looking forward to the night ahead. The men in their squadron had warned them about the absolute boredom of this job. The guards that had preceded them told them that it was very easy to doze off. They had been standing guard, perfectly fine, when suddenly they would wake up a few hours later from an unplanned snooze. The present men charged with this duty had come prepared with a canteen of coffee.

The first man scratched absently at his stubble, yawning widely. He really wished the people in charge would stop dragging their feet and fix the stupid hole already. Then they wouldn't have to go to all this trouble keeping the muties inside.

The man heard a weird noise behind him, like a gurgle. He turned, just in time to come face to face with glaring green eyes. Then he felt the point of a blade pierce his chest. A gloved hand covered his death cry as he slumped silently to the ground, his body flopping beside that of his already late partner.

A snicker could be heard in the rising darkness. "Too easy," sneered a feminine voice. Three more shadows slipped through the hole from whence the first invader had come. Spice's eyes gleamed in the dark, just like a cat's eyes, as she smirked at the dead guards. She was now decked in her battle armor, long black pants with a cut-off top with quarter sleeves. Metal gauntlets covered her hands, and her two Sais were belted in an X pattern over her back.

Phalanx, who was the first to enter, turned to them. The mask over his face hid everything but his eyes, which were sparking intensely.

"This is it. You all know what to do. Spice, come with me. Scream, Hive, good luck." Phalanx darted off into the night, Spice bounding after him in long, smooth strides. The two remaining mutants looked at each other before heading off into the opposite direction, slowly and purposefully.

* * *

"God-effing-dammit!" Dakota hissed angrily, sucking on her cut finger. Just another scar to be added to the multitudes patterning her hands and arms.

It was deep night now, the sun long gone down, and yet again she was tethered up on top of the energy tower adjusting the mechanisms. They would be going a few extra hours tonight to make up for the shift lost the day before yesterday. She didn't know how she would make it through tomorrow in the fields.

Her pointed ears twitched, causing her head to rise. Kota grew still, listening and sensing. Something was off tonight. She couldn't say why she felt this way; everything just felt as if it was on a pause, waiting for something to happen.

Then it did. The piercing sound, like some gigantic scream, swelled up and spread its deafening sound up and over the entirety of the mutant districts. Kota screamed and clutched at her ears as the wave of sound rolled toward her. Her eyes were shut, so she didn't see it when the sound wave hit the energy tower.

She gasped as the entire thing pitched violently, like the mast of a ship in a storm. Kota heard the groan and screech of the metal supports twisting and snapping in half. The tower was going down.

Reacting on survival instincts, Kota slid out her claws and slashed through her safety belt holding her to the tower. Then she dropped, falling swiftly as the tower buckled in on itself. Grabbing out wildly, Kota cried out in pain when she bashed her wrist hard against one of the metal poles. Despite the agony rushing through her forearm, she seized on tight, swinging down the collapsing tower like a monkey on the support beams. About fifteen feet off the ground she dropped, landing with a painful thump and roll. Scrambling up, she pelted away as the structure crumpled in and collapsed in a cloud of dust, the clanking of metal ringing in her ears. The torn wires and energy units inside the tower shorted out before blowing, fire rearing up in an inferno.

Kota scrabbled back, holding onto her limp wrist. Screams and yells were rising around her, confused, frightened, and angry. Then the scream came again, roaring through the air and toppling another tower nearby. The mutant girl coughed as smoke roiled over her.

She squinted through the oily haze. She thought she could see something framed by the fire. Two things actually, two figures. One stood tall, and the other was slightly stooped. The professional pounding of military boots rushed past her without giving her a glance, as the human guards and soldiers charged for the figures, guns raised.

The stooped figure drew himself up. He lifted his arms and held them out. He was suddenly engulfed in another cloud of some sort. But no, the cloud was undulating and moving oddly, and…buzzing? The cloud rose and soared toward the soldiers, the buzzing growing louder, and angrier. Kota gasped, as she finally picked up and ran as the swarm of deadly wasps descended on the soldiers. Her keen ears picked up panicked screams as the soldiers tried to beat them away to no avail. She sprinted from the work district as fast as she could go as more tremendous screams mixed with crashes and confused cries grew in a crescendo of sound. Fires were spreading everywhere. In only a few minutes, chaos had been awoken.

Kota turned her head around for a second, trying to catch a glimpse of the two figures again, when she collided painfully with a solid body, shorter but with more muscle. She hit the ground hard with a winded growl, her face shifting in defense.

"Kota, what's going on?" She recognized Leo's voice.

"Two figures…attacking…knocked over the energy tower," she gasped out between the instinctive growls she couldn't restrain. "I'm pretty sure they're mutants." She grasped the hand that Leo offered her, yelping as she realized it was her gimpy hand as he hauled her up. Leo was straining his eyes out toward where the chaos had begun. They were gleaming with a manic light. He glanced back at her.

"Kota, this could be our chance. Gather up the group and meet up at the hole; we're getting out of here." He whipped around and bounded off, his lion tail whipping behind him.

"Leo, wait!" she yelled in frustration, sprinting after him. "We don't know what's going on!" She halted. He had already vanished into the smoke.

"Argh!" Whipping back around, she decided to just follow his first piece of advice and seek out some of their group. She took off toward where she knew Juke bunked.

By this time, chaos had escalated to insanity. Mutants and humans alike were running this way and that, weapons were firing, and buildings were coming down from the powerful screams from the tall invader.

Kota slid through the doorway of Juke's barrack home. She couldn't see anyone, until she felt something swinging at her head. She caught the wooden plank in her strong hand, crushing it between her sharp nails. She met Juke's wild brown eyes.

"What's going on?" The curly haired girl's voice was confused and aggressive. She was still clutching the stump of her weapon.

"Mutants from the outside have invaded. Leo thinks we can escape, but…"

The moment she said the first sentence, the other girl's brown eyes lit up wildly. Without another word, she dropped her plank stub and pushed past Kota, running as fast as she could.

"Juke, wait! Ali!" Kota pursued, cursing the desperate fever that had descended upon her friends. Couldn't they stop for two minutes, plan out a rough strategy at least? Kota wanted freedom just as badly, but she knew better than to rush blindly into anything right now. There was too much pandemonium, too much confusion. It would be so easy to be caught in crossfire or accidently harmed.

"Juke!" She screamed one more time as they shot down an alley between the shacks. Juke was about ten yards ahead, almost falling over as she skidded out from between the buildings.

Then it almost looked like her head exploded. A shower of blood sprayed away from Juke as the ruined body staggered and then collapsed to the ground, the giant bullet to the skull ending her life before she was even aware of it. Kota slammed on the brakes, tripping and hitting the ground again. She stayed very still, watching as the squad of soldiers trampled over the body of her friend and continued on into the thick of the fight.

The wolf mutant lay on the ground for a few moments, gasping and trembling as she just stared at the remains of Ali Kirk, nameless mutant who was snuffed out without a thought. She felt bile rising in her throat. Staggering up, Kota took off again, refusing to look back.

The smoke was so thick now, pouring over the districts in clouds, that Kota could hardly tell where she was going anymore. She didn't know in what direction the hole lay. She just stumbled on in her run, coughing and gagging. Her arm was throbbing almost unbearably now, obviously broken badly. She continued to duck and dart, shooting across the empty spaces while crouching low. Guns rattled in every direction and the cacophony of panicked voices was hurting her ears.

Suddenly, out of the choking gloom she spotted a familiar structure; the farmhouse.

Something hit her from the back, slamming her to the ground. Kota yowled angrily, feeling her arms pinned behind her back.

"Trying to run away mutie?" Sergio snarled at her. "I don't think so. Trash like you are meant to be slaves, and nothing else."

"Let go of me!" She bucked up, trying to twist around and bite him, but an electric shock to her ribcage sent her back to the ground. He grabbed her by the hair, dragging her head up.

"You aren't going anywhere," he hissed in her ear. He began bringing the Taser toward her face.

Snarling, Kota made a desperate twist to the side, sending them both rolling. Another shock caused her to spasm painfully, but she still thrashed. One of her claws clipped him on the side and he roared angrily. But he was still holding her in a position that she couldn't get out of; if she tried to wrench free she could dislocate a shoulder. She snarled again as she was shocked once more.

A hollow clang sounded and Sergio immediately grew limp. He flopped on top of Kota, who promptly shoved him off and scrambled back. Standing above the limp and groaning form of the young man was a panting girl, holding a fire extinguisher. Her face was smudged and her blonde hair tangled, but Lindi was still recognizable. Her green eyes turned to Kota.

"What are you still doing here? Come on!" The blonde hauled the mutant to her feet and dashed into the garage. Lindi ripped a white sheet from something in the corner, revealing a Stingray motorbike that belonged to Sergio.

"Help me move it," Lindi growled at Kota. The mutant complied, and the two girls hauled the vehicle out of the garage and away from the farmhouse. They halted in another alley as Lindi dug around for something in her pocket. She withdrew a silver key and placed it in Kota's hand.

"Lindi, what are you doing? If they find out what you've done…"

"I don't care," she said stubbornly. "I can't stand it anymore; I won't watch you go back to slavery. Now go, before you miss your chance. Get to freedom." She pushed Kota toward the bike, but the taller girl seized her forearm to stop her.

"My friends are still here. I can't leave them."

"I'll look for them Kota," Lindi promised fervently. "These mutants that are attacking, they're here to free your kind. Go, find more like them, and if your friends haven't escaped then you come back for them. Kota, you're brave and strong; run away so you can return and free your people later. I'll watch out for them until then." Lindi suddenly leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss on the mutant's cheek.

"Please go," she whispered.

Kota blinked, before withdrawing and moving toward the bike. She narrowed her eyes.

"I will be back, for them and you."

The motorcycle roared with power, before the tires spun and Dakota shot out of the alley and away. She tore through the streets, veering as well as she could away from obstacles and people. She didn't know where the hole was any longer, but if she could just get to the Wall then maybe she could find a way out.

The giant barrier reared up before her. A large opening had been blasted into it. Kota's spirit rose for a moment, and then plummeted. Dozens of soldiers were blocking the way.

"Stop mutant!" bellowed the leader, spotting her charging toward them. The soldiers fanned out, pointing their guns at her. Kota narrowed her eyes. She wouldn't stop her charge, even if they fired.

"NEVER!" she screamed in defiance. And something unexpected happened.

Just like those of the invading mutant, giant sound waves blasted out past her lips and boomed toward the soldiers. The men yelled as they were thrown or blasted backwards, some of their heads cracking against the Wall. Kota was startled and disoriented by her own sonic blast, her ears ringing and eyes blurred, but she pushed the bike onward even faster. She zoomed past them, through the Wall, and into the land beyond.

The feeling was so strange, and all encompassing, that she could almost feel it smothering her. Not knowing what else to do to relieve this pressure she let out another roar to the sky, but it was filled with horror, despair, fear, and gratitude all at the same time. The inhuman sound was a dark accent to the backdrop of smoke, fire, and screams as she left it behind in the roiling night.

Far away, Lindi could hear it. She had never heard it before, but she somehow knew what it was. She blinked back tears.

"Run away Kota, and don't look back."

* * *

The guard sat tensely behind the final checkpoint desk in the main research building. He fingered the gun at the side of his belt as he listened to the crashes and raised voices coming from outside. He winced a bit when he heard a pained scream.

This was why he had signed up for this job. He didn't want the high risk jobs; he didn't want to be the one herding the mutants around. Personally, he had never met a mutant up close before and had no animosity for them, but everyone said mutants were dangerous and unfeeling, so it was probably true, right? So he just guarded the building where the scientists did who-knew-what to several chosen mutants. He just wanted money to pay the bills.

He jumped and whirled when he heard a loud clang. A flash of silver was his last sight before he slid limply from his chair, his throat cut.

Spice flicked her red-stained claws about with distaste as she scanned about. "Pathetic. They never think to look up, do they? Well, I guess he didn't expect an attack from the air vents after all."

"No time to think about it now; we have a job to do." Phalanx dropped into the room beside her from the vent. "They shouldn't be able to turn the force field back on from the outside, but the sooner we get this done, the better." He flexed his hands out of habit, stretching his spiked forearm guards.

Spice moved away from her victim. "Scream and Hive did a good job getting them to turn it off, because it was 'damaged'. Wouldn't want to waste their hard work."

"No we wouldn't. Let's go." With a ringing sound, two knife-like blades shot out of Phalanx's wrist guards as he set off down a corridor, Spice following.

They had studied the layout of the building almost religiously, so they knew every twist and turn, even in the dark. Most of the power had been cut off when Scream and Hive had started their attack on the working district, knocking out most of the electricity and backup generators. The two Outcasts traveled down staircases, keeping to the shadows. They could hear scientists, army officials, and guards having fits all around the building.

They then reached a crossroad, one hallway leading straight on, and another staircase leading down.

"You go right," Phalanx said. "Get as many as you can, and then get downstairs and help." She saluted as he swooped down the stairwell.

"Time to go to work," Spice chirped gleefully, her face going full shift. With a satisfying ring, she drew out her Sais.

She stopped outside one door, listening. She could hear voices inside, as well as a pained moan. With a light touch she tested the door; it was barred. But that was no concern to her. Drawing back, Spice slammed her metal-guarded fist as hard as she could into the door. The metal screeched and buckled inward as the doors ripped off their hinges. The scientists inside looked up in terror as the war-decked feline mutant stepped in. She bared her fangs in a predatory grin.

"Heeerree's Toni," she snickered, before she lunged.

Meanwhile, Phalanx had reached his destination. He stood outside steel double doors with a glaring red light above them. Cold mist seeped out from the crack below them. He went over to the keypad on the wall. Reaching into his pocket, the Outcast leader pulled out a small computer device and attached it to the keypad. A series of beeps and clicks was heard before the light above the doors turned green and they swung open.

He entered the giant space, staring around at the many transparent boxes filled with frozen mutants. Closing his eyes, he concentrated. A black mist surrounded him before a pitch-dark copy of himself slipped away from his body. Smoky mist still swirled around the 'soldier' as he called them, as it stood silently awaiting orders. Phalanx continued to concentrate until nearly fifty of these silent black copies surrounded him.

"Go and free them," he ordered, pointing to the many mutants trapped in sleep. The soldiers broke away from the group and sprinted off, beginning to crack open the stasis chambers. The original Phalanx also set to work as fast as he could. They were running out of time.

* * *

Tonia Hart had been raised to be a refined young woman, despite her family's notorious reputation for misbehavior. She had been raised with the expectation that she would one day be a staple of fame in the eyes of the public, just like the rest of her family. All her childhood had been spent searching for her special talent, the one that would earn her the spotlight that her parents and siblings had managed to capture. But Tonia had never seemed to find it, outside of her not inconsiderable looks. Her cunning and brains were of no interest to her famous clan, so she had always been the ugly duckling, the outcast with no place among the star-studded family. Until her mutation appeared that is. It was then that Tonia found her talent, though it wasn't anything her family had expected or desired.

Tonia was a fighter through and through. She was born with good looks to disguise her fox's heart, the wit and cunning to outmatch her enemies, and the all the physical power her mutation could offer her. She could never recall being happier than when she allowed her mutation to fill her up and define herself and her talents. As an Outcast she could prove her prowess, and with every bigoted human guard or scientist she cut down, it felt like one stick to her family, proving to them just how powerful she was. _Just look at me now Father. See what I can do Mother. No brother or sister of mine can do what I do!_

Spice was enjoying herself immensely. She liked making the scientists run screaming like little girls, only to catch up with them later. Just like a cat and a mouse, she thought.

"Stop!" another guard bellowed as he whipped out his gun. He didn't wait for her to comply as he fired. With a swift and sinuous twist, the mutant girl allowed the bullet to sail past her, missing her by only a few inches. But she liked that risk. The guard continued to fire, and she dodged every last round.

A pathetic click echoed in the hallway as he ran out of ammo. That was when she leapt. Spice sailed nearly twenty feet down the corridor, slamming into the guard claws first. He sputtered a bit before going limp, just as more of his dumb-bunny buddies came stampeding around the corner. With a heft, Spice picked the man up and lifted him over her head. He was a big man, at least two hundred pounds, but the mutant tossed him at the other guards as easily as tossing a newborn Chihuahua puppy.

"Strike!" she crowed maliciously as they all tumbled to the ground like bowling pins. Spice descended on them in a whirl of claws, fangs, and Sais, until she was the only one left breathing.

She stood, fixing her rumpled uniform, before turning around.

"Come on, all clear." A group of mutants that had been used as experiments crept out of their hiding place toward her. They were all bony, pale, and underfed. Most had ugly scars and all looked haunted and terrified. Spice growled quietly as she motioned for them to follow her.

She went up and down the corridors on this floor, checking every room. When she was positive that she had found every mutant, Spice backtracked to the staircase and followed Phalanx's path downward.

She entered the stasis room with her liberated group. Small groups of pale, bleary mutants were being escorted together by Phalanx's soldiers. They worked fast, already having freed a few hundred. Spice spotted her leader several levels up, breaking open more chambers. Taking another running leap, she caught onto the railing of the walkway on which Phalanx stood, swinging herself up and over it to join him.

"Where am I needed?" she asked. He pointed wordlessly down the walkway into the darker recesses of the holding room. She sprinted down in that direction. With a swipe of her powerful claws, she cut through the electronic locks holding the chambers closed. They slid out with the hiss of cold steam.

Phalanx was helping yet another delirious mutant from its chamber when he heard a beep from the communicator on his wrist. He looked down as Hive's face appeared on a tiny screen encased in the watch-like device. The background was all flame and smoke and noise.

"_**We're almost out of time. The Sentinels are almost ready to be awakened. Get them moving." **_

"Understood," Phalanx said as the screen flickered out. He called out to Spice. "Gather up your last and head for the exit point; I'll block the entrance and free the rest." The cat-girl nodded and leapt down from her high point, summoning the conscious mutants to follow her.

Phalanx hurried back to the doors. He hit the code panel on the side door with his fist. The incorrect coding caused the doors to slide close, meant to trap intruders inside. This was Phalanx's intention. Whipping out a small device that resembled a pen from his pocket, he held it up to the doors edges. A bright blue laser beam shot out of the end, beginning to weld the doors shut.

The sounds of commotion began to rise from the upper floors again. His time was almost up. Running to the railing of the walkway, he launched himself up and over it, dropping into the darkness below. It was a deceptive distance though; he only fell for fifteen feet or so before hitting the ground and rolling with the impact. His target was a whirring machine nestled in the corner, faint blue lights blinking on it. It was the cryogenic core, the machine that was sustaining the suspension chambers by providing them backup power now that many of the outside generators were under attack.

The wrist blades of Phalanx's armor slashed and tore through the circuitry and metal plating easily as he attacked it. The machine moaned and coughed sparks, before dying with a screech. The lights coming from the still working suspension chambers around the room died. Within minutes the inhabitants would be fully aware.

Climbing up to the walkways once again, he spoke to his remaining black soldiers. "When they wake up, show them the way out. Guard them." He didn't need to hear responses; he knew they would obey.

Phalanx's ear caught a noise, a groan. He turned, catching the shifting of a body in one of the chambers. The mutant shouldn't have been awake yet, but if it had been placed in suspension very recently then it was possible that this person could wake early. He strode over, pulling the box out from the wall.

Inside was the typical fare: a scarred and pale mutant that had seen far too much abuse at the hands of her captors. Her dark wavy hair was damp, and so was her skin. Her eyelids were fluttering, attempting to open. Within moments they did, brown irises struggling to adjust to sight.

The mutant girl tried to make sense of the blurry sight above her. It was a human shape, but with no discernible face. It took a few seconds to realize that it was a mask, with a strange green symbol on the forehead: a circle was straight lines emerging from it. Out of the slits in the mask she could see equally green eyes staring at her. Then a garbled voice reached her ears.

"Get up." She understood what this person wanted, but she couldn't make her muscles obey. They felt so stiff. She gasped with pain when a gloved hand slipped beneath her shoulders and hauled her up. Joints and tendons popped and strained at the movement, and the bodily warmth radiating from underneath the glove was burning her icy skin.

"You'll feel better in a few minutes, but you have to move now." Despite the jostling, the voice was surprisingly gentle as its owner helped her balance on her numb feet.

"W-where 'm I…" she stuttered incoherently.

"No time to talk about that now, just keep moving."

"C-can – can't. Too tired," she moaned as she began to sag to the floor.

"Yes you can," insisted the mysterious figure. "I'll keep you distracted while we walk. What's your name?"

The girl struggled for a moment trying to recall. "Magdalena…Oliver." She paused for a second and then asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"Away from here, to a new home."

* * *

Scream snarled, destructive growling sound waves rippling past his clenched teeth. It had grown easier over the years to keep himself silent, keeping the power of his voice contained in his chest and throat, but it was always a relief to allow it free reign. It might be because of his powers that he would never be able to speak like a normal person, but he couldn't resent them.

The blast of sound sent the round of bullets aimed for him careening away, many of them making deadly impact with the soldiers that had fired them in the first place. Scream felt someone coming up behind him. With the swiftness of a striking snake, his daggers went whirling through the air in gleaming pinwheels. The first buried itself in the skull of a soldier attempting to sneak up behind him, the second bored through the shoulder of another human and pinning him to a crumbled stone wall of what was once a mutant barrack. The mutant fighter ignored the man's shrieks of pain as he moved onward.

The fight had been moved away from the business district and into the streets among the mutant dwellings. The attack had gone just as they had planned; the confusion and panic that had been caused by their dramatic entrance had kept the soldiers from knowing exactly how many mutants were invading. And with all the extra mutants running around kept the two Outcasts disguised for the most part in the raging crowds.

Hive suddenly dropped in from the roof of one of the ramshackle buildings, a tornado of wasps swirling around him.

"The Sentinels are almost ready to be released. I've called Phalanx and he's headed out now. We need to go."

Scream glanced around. There were still mutants here, running about with no way to turn. This was always the hardest part about what they did. Even though the Outcasts were focused on the liberation of their kind, they weren't foolish. They knew that not everyone could be saved however much they might wish they could. There would be injuries and death here because of what they had done tonight. The smallest justification Outcasts could find was the fact that perhaps death was better for these tortured souls compared to lives of slavery and abuse. But Scream still felt the sickening jolt at what had been sacrificed for the greater good.

"_Alright, I'm coming,"_ Scream mouthed, careful to keep his vocal chords from letting any sound slip from them being so close to his part-time teammate. Hive nodded, seeming to acknowledge that depth of sorrow and anger, before both young men turned on their heels and vanished into the smoky ruins, leaving the chaos unchecked behind them.

* * *

"Hurry, we're running out of time!" Spice hissed to her many followers as they wound through the dark tunnels below the enclosed city. It had taken Phalanx a good deal of time and risk to discover the layout of the underground train tracks that ran to and from the major cities, supplying each with food and necessities without having to risk exposure by opening gaps in the Walls. Spice had been made to memorize the way out with all her capacity, and she had implanted the information as hard as she could into her memory. Tonia might have been reckless, but she was an Outcast utterly dedicated to what she did.

Now the limping and shivering group was padding along the dark and drafty shafts, dirty bulbs casting a sickly light around that hardly did anything to dispel the darkness. Spice's eyes gleamed as she peered down one path in a fork and then the other. Her mind brought up the map she had studied and told her to turn left. She trotted on, all the time making sure everyone was close behind her.

The back of her neck tingled, the silver fur rising as she felt a presence approaching from behind.

"Move," she growled, drawing out her Sais again. The crowd parted to let her through as she doubled back and into the shadows. With a mighty leap she grasped onto the pipes running along the roof of the tunnel and hung there upside down, ready to drop on whatever threat might be coming. Footsteps echoed off the walls and she sniffed. The scent was familiar. Relaxing, she flipped around and dropped once more to the ground.

"Lived to fight another day, huh?" she asked of Hive and Scream as they emerged from a side passage. Aside from several scratches and minor burns, the two were unharmed. They simply nodded, scanning the large group their fellow Outcasts had amassed while they fought outside.

"You two take the rear," she said, gesturing with her razor sharp blades. They did as she ordered as the procession moved off again.

A few minutes passed before Hive's perpetually melancholy voice drifted to the front of the column. "Phalanx is coming."

They all turned as their leader emerged from the gloom, supporting a tall girl against his shoulder. Several stragglers gangled behind him wearily. Spice was about to speak when Phalanx hushed her with a worrying urgency. At the same time, the hackles on the back of her neck rose again, but this time with a greater intensity that made her snarl defensively.

"Move them as fast as you can. They've sent Prowlers into the tunnels."

Cries of fear began to rise before Spice snuffed them out. "Shut up! If you want to live to see tomorrow morning in one peace, just run!" Phalanx didn't bother to reprimand her uncomely behavior as it got the group bolting down the tunnels. He dropped to the rear, running abreast with Scream and Hive while still supporting Magdalena. He wished he could send her on, but she still seemed too weak to stand on her own.

Above the slapping of running feet and desperate panting, the sound of chattered fangs and excited screeching could be heard. Phalanx concentrated, releasing a battalion of his soldiers and sending them back down the tunnel to buy them some time. It wouldn't be much though. For a while the frightening noises fell back, but they soon returned with greater volume and speed.

The noises were just around the corner when one of the mutants stumbled and fell. The Outcasts, moving too quickly to stop immediately, darted past him before skidding to a halt. That lapse in protection was all that was needed. A red eyed Prowler, snarling mechanically like a beast from Hell, sprang out of the darkness and fixed its teeth into the fallen mutant's leg. The young man screamed in panic as the monster machine dragged him backwards into the jaws of two more Prowlers.

"NO!" Phalanx cursed, sending his soldiers sprinting back to help. It was no use. Blood spattered the tunnel walls as the Prowlers tore the young man to shreds, his horrifying screeches quickly dying out into gurgles and then silence.

"Damn it all to Hell!" Phalanx continued to swear as both he and the two other Outcast men charged in. He let Magdalena slip to the floor, hoping she would be smart enough to get up and follow the others.

The Outcast leader heard another snarl, higher and more animal than the Prowlers. Spice soared over their heads and collided with one of the machines, beginning to tear into them. Hive had to duck as Tonia heaved one of the Prowlers over her head and tossed it into the oncoming wave of the robot hunters.

Two blades shot out of Phalanx's wrist guards as he set into the battle. James Mortant's power lay in the numbers of his soldiers. Without them, he had little more strength or defense than a baseline human, unlike his three teammates. That was unacceptable in his mind, so Phalanx had trained every day to become the strongest, fastest, and most agile he could be. After all, a mutant leader wasn't worthy of his title if he was helpless without his powers. Reliance on only his mutancy was a sign of negligence and sheer laziness.

A Prowler lunged for him, jaws open to clamp down around his skull. With a swift duck, he allowed it to sail over him. Lunging up as swiftly as he could, he drove his blade into a weak spot in the machine's armor just below the shoulder joint. It also happened to be a place occupied by a lot of important circuitry. The machine crumpled into a twitching pile, as the mutant stabbed out the fiberglass eye of a second Prowler. His fellow Outcasts were also displaying all their strengths. Spice was holding nothing back of her animal side, slashing, ripping, and dismembering as she tossed mechanical body parts this way and that. Scream had to limit the size of his sound blasts for fear of caving the tunnel in on top of them, but his cool head and impeccable aim sent the Prowlers flying back from him and crashing to the floor. Hive was probably the most exposed, but he used his wasps to invade the chinks in the robots armor and to chew through their circuits.

Despite their ferocious defense, the four were steadily being pushed back as more Prowlers came their way. Soon they would be overwhelmed.

Phalanx gritted his teeth. He knew the risks of this 'job', and had always known a mission like this could very well be his last. He would much rather go out with flair in a battle than being taken in and executed by the flatscans. He began to turn to Scream, about to order that he bring the roof down in on them, when he heard a voice shout.

"Hey, over here! Nice and tasty mutant on aisle three!"

Half of the Prowlers turned their heads and Phalanx cursed again. Magdalena, tottering about like a newborn baby, waved at the machines from her place some yards down the tunnel. She must have crept down there while they were fighting. Anticipated screeched rose again as most of the Prowlers turned toward this new target.

"What are you doing?" Phalanx bellowed as the four Outcasts beat down the few Prowlers that were left to fight. Magdalena darted her eyes toward them momentarily, her gaze keen and urgent.

"Run!" she shouted with all seriousness as the wave of Prowlers converged on her. Phalanx was about to run to retrieve her anyway when Spice seized him by the arm and hauled out down the tunnel.

"She isn't kidding. Go fast!"

Phalanx trusted Spice's sense for danger if nothing else, but he still peered over his shoulder as they pelted down the tunnel. The Prowlers howled in unison and Magdalena vanished under the onslaught. Then a bright core of light lit up in the center of the swarm, before Phalanx's eardrums were nearly blown out by the earth-cracking explosion. The Prowlers screamed once more before being decimated by the fiery blast. Stone cracked as the roof caved in, mounds of boulders and dirt sliding down into the passage. The force of the explosion sent the four of them hurtling like shot putts down the tunnel. They would have been incinerated by the fire, but the cave in obstructed the wall of flame from reaching them as they tumbled to the ground.

The four mutants lay still, panting for breath as they listened to the last sounds of crumbling rock and the dust settling.

"Is she dead?" Spice asked tentatively, the first to pick herself up. Injuries didn't seem to keep her down like they could other people.

"Not quite yet," came a rasping voice from beyond the wall of boulders. Spice bounded over and shoved aside the debris to create a hole. She stared at Magdalena through the gap. The mutant girl that had just saved them wasn't all there…literally. Half of her body was intact, but the other half was gone. But as Spice watched, pieces of ash began to drift unnaturally toward the tall girl and started to meld with her half a body. As they connected they grew healthy and reformed into new, clean skin. Within moments, Magdalena stood whole and bare in her birthday suit before them.

"What kind of power is that?" Tonia asked with a perfect eyebrow raised.

Magdalena shrugged her bare shoulders. "Don't really have a name for it; power titles always seem so fancy. Can I take a wild stab and go for Explodo-kinesis?"

Spice cackled as she widened the hole until it was big enough to pull the other mutant through. Phalanx had by that time got the other two up and ready. He motioned the two girls forward.

"Are you alright?" he asked Magdalena, far too professional to comment or really care about her lack of clothes. Some powers were just inconvenient in those areas.

She nodded. "Yes. I collapsed a lot of tunnel back that way, so no one would be able to reach us for a while yet."

Phalanx smiled beneath his mask. "Thank you. You helped save a lot of lives tonight, and we won't forget that. Now come on, we're almost free." They all sprinted off to join the group that had gone ahead, led by one of Phalanx's clones. The Outcasts led them on deep through the tunnels, twisting and turning throughout the night. It took the human soldiers many hours to clear the fallen rubble, but even with their tracking robots and sophisticated equipment, too much time had passed. The Outcasts and their charges were long gone.

* * *

The sun was rising, casting light over the massive destruction that the invaders had caused. Energy and electrical towers lay toppled and twisted on the ground, the shanty mutant dwellings were burnt out frames, and bodies lay scattered about the narrow streets.

Leo Dyson knelt on the ground, his hands behind his head as he tried not to roar in fury and despair, or else weep uncontrollably. He didn't dare look at his two brothers, both forced into similar positions. He could see Strobe and Jesse Taylor not far off, both looking just as distraught as he felt.

"Nobody moves mutants! Try to leave this position, escape, or attack will be shot immediately!" The soldier had been shouting such things hysterically some time now, waving his gun around like a madman. No matter how tough he tried to act it was obvious he was shaken and terrified by the night's events and how easily the mutants had managed to invade. However, he was serious about his threats, and none of the mutants were about to try anything.

Leo tried not to choke on the bitter disappointment and near agony of how very _close_ they had been to freedom. He had managed to round up his brothers and they had bolted for the hole, but they had run straight into the soldiers that were waiting for any mutants trying to escape. The three had put up a bitter fight, and had almost broken through when Strobe and Jesse arrived, but when more soldiers arrived they were finally subdued. They had been kneeling in this position for hours now, his muscles screaming at the uncomfortable position, and his heart wailing with barely suppressed despair.

"All right soldiers, get these muties into the probation barracks until we get cleaning crews out here to fix up this mess," shouted some general. Leo and the other mutants were prodded to their feet and marched relentlessly toward the probation barracks, normally preserved for mutants that needed a little isolation.

"Leo." He lifted his golden eyes to meet Strobe's dead-eyed gaze. "Where's Kota and Juke? I haven't seen them."

He shook his head miserably. "I don't know. I haven't seen Kota since the attack started, and Juke not at all. But after tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if we never saw them again," he said bitterly as he stared at a dead mutant in the road, its eyes glassy.

The steel door slammed shut behind the last mutant, leaving them all in the filth and unpleasant stink of the barracks. Strobe continued to peer around.

"I don't see them. Either they're dead, or…"

Leo didn't bother to finish the sentence. It was most likely that Kota and Juke were dead, shot and killed in the panicked melee. There was a small chance that they had escaped, but Kota's words to him a few days previous came back to mind. _"Even if we did manage to get beyond the wall we wouldn't get far. With no powers and no transportation we'd be caught or killed within a week." _

Leo had hoped that one or both had managed to break free, but after tonight he had grown a new perspective. Their world was a cruel one, and unkind to any and all. Their friends might have escaped, but the odds were definitely not in their favor.

* * *

Matt flicked his thick tail, sitting quite still as he watched Evangeline once again as she paused and held still for several long minutes. This had become frequent, so he just learned to ignore it.

Several days had gone by since he had joined company with the strange girl, and barely knew more about her or her motivations than he did that first night. He had learned quite swiftly that Evangeline wasn't a talkative or even very friendly person. She wasn't outright mean, but she had an extremely short temper and was easily annoyed by questions. Matt wasn't much of a yapper himself, but he did want answers to several important questions in his mind. His answers were given to him shortly and impatiently, explaining the bare minimum and barely to his satisfaction. So after a day or so he had learned to just be silent and follow along.

Even now he was wondering what she was doing. He had (reluctantly) asked this morning what it was she was searching for, which she was obviously doing. She had snapped back that she didn't know, she just knew she should be looking for something and would know when she found it, now could he please shut up and let her concentrate? He had remained in his wolf form the rest of the time, running behind her and silently observing. Her attitude might have caused him to leave, strike out on his own and perhaps locate Casey again, but he was far too curious. He wasn't very concerned about his friend; Casey was resourceful, and his powers would keep him alive and fighting in almost any situation. For now, Matt wanted to learn more about this irritable girl and this team she had briefly spoken of.

His attention snapped back as he watched Evangeline stiffen. Her eyes glowed with power and her face became furious. Fire snapped to life around her as she rose into the air again.

"Come on," she growled, before rocketing forward over the landscape. He took off after her, his paws throwing up dirt and gravel behind him as he pounded over the turf.

The pair crested a hill and jerked to a halt.

"Those fools," hissed Evangeline with venom in her voice.

Matt looked out at the walled in city. Smoke was rising from beyond the great barrier, and the orange glow of fires could be seen. Even at this distance he could hear the din of voices, full of anger, fear, and confusion.

He cocked his massive canine head toward his companion. _What's happened?_

For once, Evangeline replied directly and with no anger, at least not at him. _"The Outcasts have bitten off more than they could chew. Those idiots! Don't they know what they've done, attacking a city like this?"_

Matt didn't need an explanation for that. He had heard of Outcasts before. Somehow, they were a popular topic in the laboratory where he had been held; he had always felt that this group was meant to have significance to him relating to his captors, but he hadn't stuck around to find out. He gazed at the destruction before him and felt he finally understood the fear and hatred with which the scientists had spoken of them.

He was about to speak mentally when he yet again felt Evangeline stiffen mentally. This time she didn't give him a warning as she shot off, but he was expecting the sudden departure and was hot on her heels.

She abruptly pulled to a halt after about half an hour of travel, accidently clotheslining him as she threw out an arm to signal a halt.

"Sorry," she said, not sounding very apologetic at all. Matt just shook himself out, feeling the bruise he had earned deplete and vanish within seconds. He remained quiet, for Evangeline had become very silent as she slunk forward through a stand of prickly bushes. Reducing into his werewolf form, he followed her over a short rise and peered down into a small hollow surrounded by stunted trees. His nonexistent eyebrows rose at what he saw. A young woman, with short black hair and silky black fur sprouting along her arms, legs, and hands was crouched among the scrub. The two watchers could hear her panting, pained breaths as she used sharp black nails and pointed teeth to dig debris and what looked like shrapnel from her skin. Blood was sluggishly trickling down her arms and back, and the red liquid covered her nose and lips as well from trying to clear her skin of the rubble. The smell of blood was probably the only reason she hadn't caught their scent yet.

Matt quickly surmised that she had escaped from the city that they had left behind them. She was dressed in a stained and tattered grey uniform with a black M stamped on the left shoulder. He heard her wince and growl again as, while trying to reach another injury on her thigh, she jostled her right wrist, which was swollen and red.

He glanced at Evangeline, whose eyes were narrowed in thought. She then tossed him a look and a mental message. _"Stay here until I say." _She then rose and walked slowly into the clearing.

The injured mutant immediately drew away, her face shifting to an appearance that was very similar to Matt's when he was in hybrid form, only her fur was black and her features narrower. The girl snarled powerfully at Evangeline.

Matt watched as the redheaded girl stopped and nonchalantly shifted her weight to one foot. He wanted to see how she handled this.

Evangeline glanced from the mutant girl's hand to her face, seeming utterly unconcerned and totally relaxed. "Hurts like Hell don't it? I had that happen to me once; I gave my friends migraines until it healed up enough."

The mutant cocked her head, confusion clouding her green gaze. "What?" she asked, still in a growling voice. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

Evangeline shrugged. "Not a whole lot. I was passing by when I saw the trashed city. Came your way and stumbled on you sitting here trying to gnaw yourself. By the way, you'll probably give yourself a disease doing that."

Matt watched tenuously as the black-haired girl growled again. "Are you saying I'm diseased?" she hissed dangerously.

"No," Evangeline continued monotonously. "I'm just saying that can get you sick, and out here and injured in winter isn't a good idea. Here, let me help." She held out a hand. The other girl flinched away.

"And why would I do that?" she sneered hostilely.

"Because otherwise you'll have to do it on your own, and this would cost you more pain, time, and risk of illness. Also, I have two working hands if you weren't aware." She waved them in front of the girl's face, obviously crossing the personal bubble line. But the mutant girl didn't seem to know what to make of Evangeline. Matt could almost see the wheels turning in her head. If Evangeline had intended to hurt her than she could have done it already with ease and if she wanted something from her than she would have been far nicer in an attempt to gain her trust. Evangeline's blunt and slightly deprecating attitude projected some concern but also uncaring, like she was offering her help but didn't care whether you took the offer or not. She could walk away from you and never give you a second thought. While this kind of attitude might have been considered cold several years ago, now it was strangely this type of approach that mutants like them were most likely to trust. He watched as the wolf girl tentatively held out her hand. Evangeline took it, with surprising gentleness, and began to wrap it up with a cloth scrap from the other girl's grey uniform.

The wolf girl watched for a second before again asking, "Who are you?"

"Evangeline," she replied shortly. "And Matt's hiding in the bushes."

Green eyes darted sharply toward where Matt was concealed. Seeing that as Evangeline's say so, Matt emerged from the bushes, where he sat and stayed silent on the edge of the clearing. The black-haired girl eyed him suspiciously for a minute, but something about his wolfish appearance seemed to calm her. They were all quiet until the unnamed girl grunted.

"Dakota," she said. Matt took a second to realize that she was telling them her name.

"Pleasure." Evangeline sounded politely disinterested. Matt watched the upward quirk of Dakota's lips. He huffed in slight amusement. Maybe this was why Evangeline had acted the way she had when he had met her; mutants seemed more comfortable with this type of behavior. Though he was sure Evangeline still had a very short fuse on her temper.

Evangeline then spoke up. "You might as well get some shut eye. We aren't moving anywhere in daylight."

He nodded and settled in as the sun rose in a semi cloudy sky. Within minutes he was asleep. Evangeline continued to help Kota with her injuries until the other girl felt comfortable enough to sleep herself. But Evangeline remained awake, gazing out in the direction of the city they had left behind. Her thoughts were in turmoil as she planned the fastest route back home. The Seekers needed to know about this.

"_What have they done?" _she thought once more.

* * *

_A/N: Slapped this one out for y'all in a jiffy; I didn't want you guys to wait too long for action. If there are a lot of mistakes, forgive me but I wanted to get this out before things got too crazy. The action in this chapter isn't my best, but I'm saving that for later on. Can't have all the really good battle and bloodshed used up in the first couple of chapters of the first book, now can we?_

_**Next Chapter: **__Casey wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, and a Covert prepares for action. _


	7. Preparation

**X2: Survivors**

It was morning again. He could tell by the light shining against his eyelids. His nose twitched, taking in the sweet scent of heather, blackberry shrubs, and dewy grass. That more than anything else was what woke him.

Casey blinked his eyes open, squinting as beams of cool sunlight slanted down on him from between the tree branches. The first thing he felt was the expanding of unbelievable joy in his chest, crawling up his throat and released into the air as a choked whimper of gratitude and disbelief. He hadn't seen the sun in so long.

Slowly, he drew himself up from where his body had lain submerged in a deep drift of old leaf mulch. He shook himself out and stood shakily.

How did he get here? All he could remember were memories of darkness, cold hallways, and horrible pain and humiliation. He felt very heavy, and even colder on the inside than he was standing in the biting winter air. A pounding headache echoed between his ears, and he placed his hands over them to stop the ringing. What had happened?

Then he began to recall slowly. The night, the terrible night. He had been sleeping in his cell, when They had suddenly come for him, dragging him away. And then he had been submerged, as ice fire raged over his bones and his blood and tinted the water around him.

Casey gasped, stumbling back against a tree as the very memory of that night brought back surges of phantom agony. He clutched at his limbs, his fingernails digging in and drawing blood. It didn't matter. Ever since he was fifteen it hadn't really mattered how badly he was hurt, it never lasted for long. Even when his captors had him strapped down and peeled his flesh from his bones as he watched, he had always healed.

Hands shaking, Casey raised his arms, hands held in front of his face. His memories were telling him what they had done, but he didn't want to believe it. But he could feel it, the heaviness in his body, and the tingle of awareness in his arms that told him something new was a part of him. Breathing deeply through his nose, the young man flexed the muscles in his arms. He gasped as he felt the slide of something cold and smooth beneath the skin, saw the slight stretch as the intrusions moved. Slowly, painfully so, he felt the cool lengths slide up his arms, into his hands, and painfully break through his carpal bones and skin to emerge.

Casey stared wordlessly at the nine inch metal lengths of the hardest metal on Earth protruding from his hands.

He leaned further back until he slid miserably down the tree trunk. He vaguely registered the rough bark pulling at the bare skin of his back, but he didn't care. He continued to stare at his new claws, not really thinking or feeling. He was not ignorant or a fool; he knew their significance, and who had owned them first. In a way, some might consider it an honor to bear this mark, but all he felt when he looked at them was disgust. He felt used and dirty, a sick little doppelganger, a cheap knockoff. Somehow the terrible pain he had endured was less of an offense. Casey had always known his mutation was nothing flashy, not that impressive, and from day one he had been okay with that. He didn't need attention, he didn't need great power, and he had never desired it. His driving creed was peace, quiet existence without pain or conflict. It was almost a sick prank, that the men who had held him prisoner would grant him one of the most well-known mutant abilities of destruction.

As he continued to stare at the metal claws, new memories surfaced, and Casey suddenly cursed himself for his self-centered thoughts. What had happened to Matt? From the moment they had met in captivity they had always been brothers in arms, watching each other's backs when no one else could or would. Matt had stayed behind to give him his chance to run away, and now he could be recaptured or very well dead. He stumbled to his feet, determined to take action, but then he halted. What would he do? Matt could be recaptured, but if he had escaped or been killed then he would be running right back towards them for no reason. On top of that, he wasn't even sure of the direction or distance back to the secret compound. When Matt had sent him on he had only run, crashing through forests, over hills, and through rivers with no direction but away in his mind. He had run throughout the night and into the cold daytime, despite the cold snow cracking the skin on the soles of his feet and leaving bloody traces in the snow.

"What would Matt do in my place?" That one was fairly easy to figure out. If he had stayed behind and sent Matt onward, no matter what would have happened to him he would have wanted his friend to stay away from that hellhole. He wouldn't want to return and waste his friend's risk by running back into their hands.

The thought of going back out into the collapsing world was intimidating. Casey didn't know how long he had been locked away, but he didn't doubt the passing of several years in the dark. Who knew how greatly the land had declined in that time. But Casey was a steady person, not easily shaken, and he was willing to take what came in stride. It was about time he got moving.

He pulled himself up from the tree, checking himself over swiftly. He had healed from many of his injuries during his marathon flight, and the rest had managed to reseal when he had collapsed exhausted in this small forest he found himself in. He didn't know how long he'd lain there. He was only wearing a ragged pair of black pants, but he had no time to worry about that. With a deep breath in through the nose, he set off southward by the direction of the sun.

After about half an hour of walking he emerged out of the forest boundaries and got a look around. He was still high up, among the lower hills under the mountains rising above him. He would have to pass through multiple forests and a long downhill trek to reach the lowlands. He raised his head and sniffed the wind, letting the myriad of scents brush past his senses. The wet, sweet scent of the pines and bare trees of the forest was most dominant, but he could also smell wild game: deer, rabbits, and a variety of birds. He sighed. Casey had learned how to hunt when mutants had been locked out. His animal senses were keen enough to allow him to hunt even with his bare hands, though it was tiring. He hoped his years of imprisonment hadn't impeded his survival skills too badly.

He found out later that it hadn't affected him by much. He remembered how to move silently through the forest, following scent trails and animal tracks. Within an hour he was crouched in the undergrowth, spying the doe that was grazing not a few yards from him. Breathing in deeply, he sprang.

What he didn't expect was the reaction from his newest weapons. When hunting before he taught himself to land on the neck or spine, crushing it and killing the animal. Now his claws shot out instinctively, cutting the doe's throat before it could dart away. Casey flinched at the hot splatter of blood on his bare chest, bringing back dark memories. He shoved them away and turned back to his prey. He gulped in revulsion. He didn't want to risk making a fire just yet, but the prospect of eating raw meat was certainly unappealing. He could do it without getting sick, but it was extremely hard to stomach it. Nevertheless, one couldn't be picky these days.

Hesitantly, Casey used his claws to cut out a hunk of bloody meat, and began to chew it forcefully. After a while the disgust went away, the animal side of his mutation responding to the warmth of fresh meat. By the time he was finished it actually tasted rather satisfying. Wiping off his mouth, Casey continued on his march.

By the time sunset cast it's light over the sky he had managed to nearly reach the foothills of the mountains, and now was as good a time as any to stop for the night. Casey collapsed beneath a giant oak which still retained a large number of dead leaves on its branches. He winced as he lifted his bare feet, watching the healing skin push out the thorns, stickers, and sharps stones that had imbedded themselves as he walked. He used the ragged end of his pants to wipe off the smudges of blood from the soles of his feet, before settling back. His stomach was yowling again, but the scents of prey were distant. It was going to be a hungry night. He settled back, ignoring the freezing air biting at his mostly bare skin. It was uncomfortable, but he could endure.

It wasn't the cold or hunger that would keep him awake that night. It was the dark visions of bloodied water, a freezing examination table below his back, and the pained cries of his friend fading into the distance as he ran. There were other dreams too, those of golden sunshine and a small white house. He could see himself splashing in the tiny creek out back, hunting for frogs, before being called back inside by a melodic voice that spoke only of home. He ran to the backdoor, to the tall brown-haired woman with the sparkling eyes that waited for him, arms open. Casey growled, covering his ears as unbidden tears slid down his cheeks. Even with the horrors he had endured, the dreams of sunlight and happiness hurt the worst.

* * *

The TV was blaring loudly with the latest news of Boston Massachusetts.

"Breaking news, a large gathering of outsider mutants was discovered not far outside of Boston. The deployment of soldiers and Sentinel robots was sent out to temper the situation, and were met with a deadly standoff. During the fight five soldiers were killed and more badly injured. Many of the mutants were shot and killed, but several managed to escape. However, authorities doubt they will remain in the area, and send their thanks and condolences to all the brave soldiers and their families that fought and were lost in the noble effort to neutralize the threats of these dangerous creatures."

The handsome reporter with unnaturally white teeth was interrupted in his serious report by a Chinese takeout box splattering the television screen. He went on to news about the government as cashew chicken and fried rice dripped down, slathering the screen in a gooey mess.

"Oh shut up ya dick," sniped one Raquelle Martinez from where she sat cross legged on her apartment floor, still in her tank top and shorts from sleeping. She angrily dug into her Chinese leftovers before pointing the chopsticks accusingly at the screen. "Your 'brave soldiers' were probably all out there shooting a bunch of toddlers and senior citizens. Kudos to you, jackasses," she continued to snarl at the TV. She wrenched the stubby pencil from behind her ear, not realizing it was tangled in her messy hair.

"OW, fuuuu... dangit." She rubbed sullenly at her head while beginning to write more notes on her paper pad. The outburst was soon forgotten as she continued with her work, switching from between her notepad which was covered with notes on timing, locations, security, and schematics, and her laptop which displayed a tall and sophisticated looking building. The television continued to drone on as she worked, her tongue in her cheek as she concentrated.

Her concentration was suddenly broken by an insistent beep, beep, beep. She reached for her cell phone before realizing that it wasn't the one ringing. Her eyebrows raised in anticipation as she crossed to her overstuffed bookcase, pulled out a few thick trashy novels, before uncovering her 'special' phone. She seized it, but instead of answering it like a regular phone, she hit a button on the side. In the blink of an eye, the phone opened out like a mechanical flower to become a type of miniature, high-tech computer. On the small screen was the face of Rin Takahashi, or Mainframe.

"Why do you call people so early? Not that I mind waking up to your pretty face, but a lady needs her beauty sleep," Raquelle said as she returned to her spot on the floor.

Rin cocked his head and gave her a half smile that could make any girl's heart skip a few beats. When he wasn't being the over-obsessive leader on missions, Raquelle had to admit that she cursed the world for being as it was and not allowing her the time to lure the boy in as her permanent love slave. It would be difficult with more competition, but she was a persistent little cuss, so she had been told.

Following the smirk, he replied in his constantly purring voice. "I knew you were up anyway. When you have a mission coming up you hardly sleep. Besides, even if the rest of the day's hell, you always can say you saw my face so the day wasn't a total loss."

Raquelle snorted in a very unladylike manner as she continued eating her Chinese food among her jumble of work. "Do you have a split personality? 'Cause if you do that would certainly explain the pole up your cute posterior whenever we're on missions."

He rolled his golden eyes before the serious 'I'm the leader' look came over his face again. "As much as I love this shameless and pointless flirting, you know why I'm really calling."

A frown pulled over the girl's face as she scrubbed a hand through her messy hair. "Yeah, I figured. Hold on a sec." She reached around and dragged her notebook and laptop into view of the screen.

She gestured to her work. "Thing is, I've worked it out and know how to do it, but with only one person I wouldn't finish the job in the necessary timeframe. Going solo on this would mean backing out early with incomplete info, or...getting caught and getting the chair. Or the firing squad. Or being drawn and quartered..."

"Yeah, okay, I got it." He sighed deeply. "So you'll be calling her in?"

Raquelle nodded. "I've got the intel recorded and everything, ready to pass it on. In fact, she should be running her usual route in a little while, so I'd better head out now if I want to catch her today. Calm down, she's got a cool head and she can improvise. She may not be a Covert but the girl has skeelz."

Rin nodded resignedly, relenting to the fact that they would be bringing in help from the outside. "Alright then, you'd better go if you're going to catch her. And Roxie, clean up your stuff before you leave. No need to take extra risks." He had told her this many times before, and he was expecting nothing more from her than the immature stuck-out tongue. He saluted before the screen went black.

"Time for some cardio." Within minutes Raquelle had changed into her running outfit, a light jacket thrown on to keep out the cold until she worked up a sweat. Quickly sweeping all of her secretive work into a locked box under her bed, she opened her front door and stepped out into the hallway. She took the stairs down to the main floor of her so-so apartment building, before exiting out the glass front doors and heading off at a jog into the city.

It took her about half an hour to reach the waterfront road where she knew her target would be passing by. Raquelle leaned against a light post, checking her watch. She was right on time. She peered around, waiting for the person of interest to come into view.

At last she saw her, a girl only a little taller than her. Her wavy brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her dreamy blue eyes were focused as she pelted in a run down the road. Raquelle oozed her way back onto the asphalt and set herself on a collision course with the other girl. By how focused she seemed, Raquelle doubted the other girl had seen her, but that didn't matter much. She jogged faster.

She made sure to put herself well into the path of other girl, so that when they rammed into one another they both tumbled to the ground in a heap. Raquelle was first up.  
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz in the morning; not even running can really wake me up."

"Si, grazi," responded the other girl while rubbing her shoulder. When she looked up she froze slightly meeting Raquelle's eyes. Despite the brief fumble, she jumped right into character. "Here are your sunglasses," she said, handing the item to Raquelle.

"And you dropped our iPad thingamajig. Here." Raquelle, during their tumble, had swiftly whipped out a small tablet device from her jacket pocket and placed it among the few spilled items. She now handed it to the other girl. In the passing of the device, she darted a meaningful look first at the girl, then down at the device in their hands. The most imperceptible of nods was her reply as the two girls stood up, exchanging bashful apologies before heading on their ways. Raquelle gave herself a mental pat on the back; one more chore done for the day.

Meanwhile, the other girl continued on her daily jog through the city, working the numbness of sleep from her limbs in the chill morning air. It was around nine that she headed back to her small flat in the heart of the city. Thankfully it was Saturday, so she was in no hurry to get to work. Besides, she had far more important business to turn her attention to.

The moment she was through the door of her home, the young woman shut and locked it. Grabbing herself an organic juice from the fridge, she then retreated into her bedroom. She closed all of the drapes on the windows and shut the door. Tossing off her sweaty running clothes and getting into something comfortable, she settled down on her bed and withdrew the tablet. Taking a deep breath, she slid her hand over the miniscule button on the top edge. The screen lit up with a blue glow as words popped up on the screen.

_IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED_

"Catalina Rivielo."

_FURTHER IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED_

She sighed, staring intently at the screen. "Catalina Rivielo, codename Gemini."

The screen blinked, before lighting up again into an extremely sophisticated layout. She caught a glimpse of different app-like images on the screen, but before she could touch one a new screen popped up. Immediately, a video began to play of Raquelle Martinez speaking.

"You obviously know why I bumped into you and why I gave you this Cat. So let's get right down to it." Catalina shook her head amusedly; just like Raquelle.

"During our last little get-together we got some information that might very well lead to cracking the puzzle of a cure to the Toxin." Catalina started, but she kept her attention on the screen. "We're working hard on digging into the hot spots. Our job is going to be a bit more high risk. Everything you need to know is stored on the different apps on this device, so go through them carefully and memorize them. Once you've examined all you need, hit the red app in the corner. It will short this device out and the information will disappear. Well, have fun with your homework and I'll see you in three days." The screen blinked out and went back to the main page.

"Three days? Thanks for the short notice Rox," Catalina said, her Italian accent sharper with exasperation. She twisted the cap on her juice, took a vigorous slurp, and set to work on the given info.

Raquelle wasn't lying, it was going to be a high risk job. Catalina felt the typical reluctant stirring in her stomach. She felt like this whenever the Covert group of mutants contacted her for her help. It had been an incredibly risky thing, a mutant herself continuing to live inside the city when she knew discovery could mean dire consequences. But she was a clever girl beneath her easy going and dreamy nature, and she had managed to set up a life and identity for herself here. Yet, she had never really been happy with things as they were, because however normal her life seemed, she was fully aware that there was suffering and persecution of terrible proportions going on just outside the city walls.

She had first encountered the Coverts one night, in her office of all places. She had stayed later than anyone else to finish up some things and lock up. She had just been heading downstairs to go home when someone had seized her around the throat. Terrified and with no other ready defense, Catalina had used her powers. Her astral form had melted away from her body and dove into her attacker, ready to lay them flat and run. When the two minds had met on the astral plane, both had gotten a shock.

Once she had withdrawn her astral projection back into herself, Catalina had introduced herself to Raquelle, who had willingly withdrawn from her assault when she realized the nature of her abductee. The Italian girl had glimpsed enough of the Coverts' nature in the Latina's mind, and it had intrigued her. So the two, strangely enough, had gone out for a late night coffee where Raquelle had quietly explained their purpose to her. Catalina knew the other girl had gotten a nasty tongue-lashing from Mainframe later for spewing their undercover operations to a civilian. He later on offered a begrudging thanks when Catalina offered her help in any missions they undertook. However, she had been reluctant to fully give up her semi-normal life for one of constant risk, so they only called her in when she was absolutely needed. Despite her limited involvement, it filled something up inside of her when she could help her kind.

She abruptly snapped out of her moments of reminiscing brought on by the typical uneasiness. She shook it off and went back to studying everything Raquelle had prepared for her. She grimaced; it was going to take a while to get through all of this. Just like homework again.

Meanwhile, Raquelle had moved onto her next job. She had continued her run into the heart of the city, moving at a slower clip now that she had time on her side.

Her target rose into her line of sight, a good deal taller than the surrounding apartments and business buildings. The Boston installment of the Genesis Pharmaceutical Industry liked to brag its success by placing a futuristic tower that dwarfed all the classic Boston buildings. Raquelle shifted as she waited for the light on the crosswalk to change. She twiddled with the supposed Blue Tooth in her ear, hitting the tiny switch in the back. She could hear the faint click in her ear as she checked her phone. She smirked when she saw how clear the pictures came out from her disguised camera.

She made her way into a stylish little coffee shop not far from the tower, ordering herself a drink that would contain enough caffeine to keep her awake until the heist was complete three days later. Taking a table in the corner, she scrolled down through her phone, punched in a special code, and selected a number from her secret contacts.

"Yeah Rin," she whispered. "She's got it. Yep, casing the place right now."

The bell on the door jingled as someone entered the shop. Raquelle peeked up and froze for a second, rapidly ending the call a moment later. Standing at the counter was a tall blonde boy in dark pants, a leather jacket, and a red shirt. His back was turned toward her, but she didn't doubt what she would see once he turned to her. She was right.

When he turned around, she beheld a thin, pale face with squinted blue eyes. One of his eyes was marred with a nasty scar cutting down his face. The boy paused for a second when he saw her, before approaching casually. He settled at the table directly behind her, facing away but Raquelle could feel he was tense. She waited. She wouldn't speak unless he did it first.

After a few minutes, he did.

"Small world, isn't it Rox?"

She responded to the barely detectable whisper with a mumble of her own as she sipped her coffee. "No, I think we're both just too addicted to coffee to not run into each other here one of these days."

He grunted in response as he bit into a biscotti. "Guess so. What's up with you?"

"The usual. Surveying a job is all." She glanced in the big window beside their two tables. She caught his reflection looking as well, allowing them to look at one another subtly. She watched his reflection cock his eyes in the direction of the gaudy tower blocking out the sky. The girl grunted in affirmation. He nodded slowly.

Raquelle sipped again from her drink. "How are the others? I don't get to see them like you do."

He paused for a second before replying. "I saw Asuka about a week ago. Didn't talk to her, but she seemed good. Haven't seen Seattle in a while, but the Boarding House has fewer kids these days, so she must be getting them over the border alright. And speaking of the Boarding House, I was just there last night."

"Really? How are Cody and Rachel?"

"The doting duo as always. Actually, we've got a new addition to the team."

That was news to Raquelle. "Who?"

"She's a Seeker, looking for her kid sister. That frizzy blonde what's-her-name."

Raquelle racked her brains for the name. "Pause?"

The other boy nodded as he finished off his coffee. He stood up from his chair. "See you," he muttered as he moved around the tables and began to leave.

"Bye Colin." He didn't respond as he left, and Raquelle sullenly swirled her drink. It was always little encounters like these that tended to ruin her days. It reminded her of how greatly their world had changed, where she couldn't even talk to her best friends of such a long time in the open anymore. It hurt especially with Colin; they had always been good friends, and had even dated once, but now they were forced to hardly acknowledge each other.

She gulped the rest of her drink and stalked out of the cafe. Maybe casing the Genesis tower would lift her mood.

* * *

It was around noon in the Seekers' home, and everything was fairly quiet. Two kids had caught a cold and had been moved downstairs, but that was the most exciting thing that occurred.

Gabriel, or Tcelfer, was sitting at the edge of the Nest, fiddling with the cards he was using to play solitaire. He blew out a frustrated breath. As strange as it was, it was possible to get bored around here. The lives of active Seekers flipped between either heart-stopping adrenaline-inducing danger, and sheer boredom that nearly had him banging his head against the wall. The monthly mission had been taken care of already, Stacy and Chris the outcome, and now it was the time to rest and recuperate. But it didn't stop Gabriel from wishing something would happen; he had dislocated his shoulder on the mission before last, and had been 'taking it easy' ever since. He sighed deeply again.

He was suddenly slapped upside the head by a psionic arm. "Ow, geez!" He scowled at Donovan, who was smirking.

"Why don't you stop huffing Ms. Moppet; if you're so bored, do something," his leader said as he leaned against the wall next to him.

"What am I supposed to do? The only version of excitement we have around these parts is the life threatening variety," he grumbled. Donovan shook his head. Gabriel was a fun guy, but when he got bored he turned into such a diva.

"Get up," he chuckled. Gabriel did as he was told as Donovan clapped his hands together. "Hey kids, everyone up." Heads perked up all over the room.

"Come on outside." Steadily, the young mutants roused themselves and followed the two young men outside. Several of the Seekers joined in as well, trailing the group out from the warehouse, a ways out from the town a bit, and into the empty lands.

"Alright everyone," Donovan called. He pulled something out from behind his back that he had picked up in the warehouse yard. It was an old shriveled-looking brown ball. "We're going to play some mutant ball."

A little hand rose from the center of the pack. "What're the rules?"

Donovan grinned again as he tossed the ball back and forth. "I have no clue. Let's just say one team's base will be over there, the other over there," he said, gesturing vaguely in opposite directions. "Just use your powers safely and we'll see what we get."

Excited babbling rose as the mutants scrambled into haphazard teams, with a few stragglers darting back and forth undecided between groups. When the teams were roughly hashed out the little ones fidgeted with excitement. Donovan paused, letting them stew for a moment, before rapidly shouting "GO!"

Enthusiastic chaos exploded in the field. The ball had been placed in the center between the two lined up teams, and the moment he gave the word at least twenty mutants surged for it at the same time.

Astro gained Team Two the advantage by using a telekinetic blast to send the other team flying. He seized the ball in victory, before being tackled violently by a small boy with a disproportionate amount of strength. Team Two sent four of their members charging at him to retrieve the ball, but the tiny kid ducked and weaved through the heaving crowd like an eel.

The scrimmage went from crazy to sudden death scarily quickly. Stacy, who currently had the ball for team one, was ambushed from above as Gabriel ported in on top of her. Chris seized him by the back of his jacket and threw himself into the air. Gabriel, not expecting the sudden attack of vertigo lost his grip on the now battered and charred ball. It tumbled languidly through the air, falling toward a young mutant on Team One, but a curling tendril of ivy smacked it away.

Donovan saw it falling. Reaching over, he grabbed a young girl named Jenna and heaved her into the air, his inhuman arms tossing her far higher than an average person could throw. She squealed first with fear, and then jubilation as she caught the ball. A blur of dark color soared through the air and snatched Jenna from the air. Dominic literally hit the ground running, weaving like the Road Runner through so many Wile E. Coyotes.

"Oh no you don't," Gabriel growled as he surged after them. He was having the time of his life.

"HEY NICK! GIMME A BOOST!" he yelled at Nikolai. He need only look into the Russian boy's eyes and he felt heat surging through him. Amplitude's powers had boosted his own. Between his hands he formed a large shimmering surface, before throwing it along the ground like he was skipping stones. It landed nowhere near Dominic, but he could see that the superspeeding mutant was going to come around for another pass. Quickly he formed another shield in his hands, and as Dominic came surging back toward him, ball in hand, Gabriel concentrated hard. Both shields glowed with a wavering milky light. Dominic, only looking at Gabriel, didn't see the shield on the ground until it was too late. He stepped right on it and vanished into the shimmering portal like the earth had opened up and swallowed him.

Gabriel only had to wait a moment before out tumbled Dominic from the shield held between his hands. The Latino tumbled like a rag doll over the frosty earth, the ball bouncing from his grasp.

"Yeah!" Gabriel yelled triumphantly as he seized it and ran toward the Team Two goal area. "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!" His team cheered him on as he pelted for the goal.

Suddenly they all froze as a hot pulse hit them, billowing out from the empty lands like a wave before a storm. Things went quiet, some of the younger ones fearfully drawing back, not knowing what it was.

Donovan however, stepped forward. "Okay guys, I think we've had a good game. You can all go inside now." He observed the scared faces and hurried to reassure them. "Don't worry; we're not in danger."

Their trust in him was obvious as they all instantly relaxed, filing back toward their home and laughing about their fun game.

Donovan drew up to stand beside Gabriel, the rest of the Seekers following behind. His face was serious.

"Evangeline's on her way back," he said, recognizing the origin of that pulse, "and whatever she ran across on her detour, she is really pissed."

* * *

Dakota padded silently at the rear of the threesome, her wolf-dog form panting a little with exertion. It was a relief to travel like this; she had far more endurance and stamina in this form. For a while she had been unable to walk in this form, her injured wrist leaving her unable to walk on four paws. Now though she could trot along fast enough with only the occasional twinge.

She had at first been reluctant to follow Evangeline, but she couldn't forget her words to Leo. Out here on her own she would be against severe odds. But even more so, she had to remember her promise to both Lindi and her friends. She wouldn't be able to free them on her own; joined with the mutant team that Evangeline spoke of, she might have a chance of fulfilling that promise.

The heavy padding of large paws interrupted her thoughts. Her canine head cocked up to see Matt, in his giant wolf form, dropping back to walk beside her. Dakota growled a bit, but she had given up on warning him off a while ago. Ever since she had joined the two he adopted the habit of bouncing back between walking just behind Evangeline, and walking beside her. He never really talked, but whenever she stumbled over her dumby foot he was there to boost her up again. It irritated her to be treated like she was incapable, but she did appreciate it after a while.

Evangeline on the other hand, was someone she knew better than to risk crossing by way of interaction. Matt, either too stubborn or too stupid to get the hint, regularly got snapped at by the perpetually grouchy Phoenix. Kota felt it was better to just avoid any conversation with the girl; both seemed to prefer it that way. With Matt's normally quiet nature and Kota and Evangeline's stalemate, there was very little conversation between the three.

Over it all though, there was a dark cloud of anger hovering over the group, originating from Evangeline. It had been present ever since the discovery of the attacked city and Kota wandering on her own. With their wolf senses on high at the moment, they could literally smell the furious rolling off of the redhead, and their sensitive ears caught the sounds of popping knuckles and grinding teeth.

Evangeline rose higher into the air, peering into the distance. She turned back toward them.

"If you can both manage one more run, we'll be there in about half an hour."

Dakota huffed, not looking forward to this as her paw had begun to throb again, but she determined to tough it out. Matt, however, decided that she didn't need to. Ignoring her startled snarls and barks, he picked the much smaller wolf up by the scruff on her neck and leapt forward. Dakota snapped her jaws shut, the world whipping by her too fast for her to see clearly. She had no idea that Matt could run this fast; she certainly couldn't, or at least she'd never tried.

Before she had even grown accustomed to the world flowing past her like a high speed river, Matt skidded to a halt. He placed her down, and she felt obligated to snap angrily at him. A rumbling from the giant wolf's cavernous chest that sounded like chuckling was her only response. She grunted irritably, shaking out her rumpled black fur.

They were standing on the boundaries of an abandoned town, coated lightly in snow. A bit of a way off, a group seemed to be waiting for them.

Evangeline turned to them. "There's the group. If anyone still wants to split, now's the time. Course you can leave anytime you want anyway, but it would save time with introductions," she said wryly, but it was gentle in the girl's abstract way.

They didn't say anything, but they didn't go anywhere. Evangeline nodded and beckoned them forward. Dakota changed back into her human form, while Matt went halfway into his werewolf image. They followed along quietly.

The first to come forward was a tall dark haired boy with strange, glowing blue arms.

"Welcome back. I'm guessing you accomplished whatever you left for," he said, nodding towards the two mutants behind her. She nodded silently, a pensive look on her face. Donovan took the hint and turned to her companions.

"I'm Donovan McCabe, and I'm also called Limb. Welcome to our home."

Matt reached out to shake hand with clawed paw. "Matthew Ryder." A pause followed before he none too subtly nudged Dakota. She mumbled, "Dakota Shade."

The typical introductions were made and the Seekers led their new members back toward their home.

Donovan slowed when he felt a strong and slender hand catch his arm. He turned to Evangeline, who was staring at him intensely. He slowed down to match her pace until the others were out of sight.

"What's wrong? We could feel your anger nearly half an hour before you got here," he murmured as they walked side by side through another light fall of snow.

Evangeline's fiery eyes blazed bright with internal anger. "The Outcasts have apparently overstepped their boundaries. They attacked a city Limb; not just a tiny scrimmage, they totally decimated the outer ring."

Donovan sucked in a breath through his teeth. Something cold clenched in his chest. "You're sure it was them? It wasn't a rebellion, or some internal damage?"

"I could feel them," she growled. "I would recognize them anywhere, so don't patronize me by asking whether I'm sure or not. We have to do something about this."

Donovan sighed. "We can't, not right now. What would be the point? Marching down there to start an argument with no conclusion; they wouldn't listen to us anyway."

"So we're just going to let this fly?" she hissed in rage. "They don't know what they've started! If they do it again they could tip the world into Armageddon, if they haven't already, and ruin everything all three teams have worked for!" She dragged her fingers through her hair. "James is one of the best tactical leaders I know, how could he not see what would come of this?"

Donovan shook his head. "I don't know. But the most we can do now is wait. That's an order," he cut in before she could protest. "You know I don't like playing stick-in-the-mud leader, but I know you Evangeline. We don't need this any worse than it is."

The young woman's mouth snapped closed, but her eyes continued to flicker like a raging fire. Donovan remained cool on the outside, but inside his thoughts were racing. He too was shocked by the Outcasts' deed. It had nothing to do with their destructive actions, or even their penchant for killing. He may not have liked it or thought it right, but in this harsh world it was something they all had to resort to at some point, so they would be raging hypocrites if they condemned their somewhat friends too deeply for that. What worried him was their ignorance of the repercussions. What Evangeline said was true; an event like this could very well be the catalyst of their doom. He sighed, hoping against hope that this wouldn't spiral out of control. Obviously, he doubted his wish would be granted.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, I took a nice break for most of July and now I'm back. Now, I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter, words didn't come out quite as I wanted them to, but I don't think I'm going to get them any better than they are, plus I wanted to post again after a month of absence. So I hope you enjoy. _

_Next chapter: Repercussions of the sinister variety. _


	8. Repercussions

**X2: Survivors**

The room was dark, but an increase in light would not have much improved it. The little illumination there was only revealed straight edged walls, cold lines and angles. The single centerpiece of the metal lined room was a metal table carved in a ring, with roughly two dozen metal chairs surrounding it. All of these chairs were filled by indistinct figures, all wearing black suits.

A voice spoke up, a man's voice, echoing hollowly in the nigh empty room. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, I'm afraid we have a rather large problem on our hands, thus why this meeting has been called."

Leaning forward, the figure that had spoken moved into a position so that the dim overhead lamp could barely cast a light on his features. He was a fairly young man, dark brown hair slicked back tightly and horn-rimmed glasses resting on his narrow nose. The sharp bone structure of his face was a canvas for small shadows, and with the light reflecting off of his glasses, it made his eyes impossible to see. The picture it painted, combining the confusing shadows and hidden eyes, he appeared almost inhuman. Despite his half-hidden visage, all others in the room knew the man's tells. The long, pale fingers tapping out a classical rhythm sounded agitated. His mood could often be determined by what tune his fingers tapped out on this table. When feeling satisfied, the man tended to play something bright, like Vivaldi. But currently, the tune was sounding ominously close to Mozart's final composition. The second tell, was his lips. The man was one to keep emotions in check, especially in his eyes, but they managed to slip through elsewhere. The subtlest tightening and twitching of his pale mouth often gave away what he was feeling. And right now, the lack of collagen showing and the clenching of teeth behind his cheeks showed very clearly his current emotion: absolute fury.

"It would seem," the man continued, "that the _Outsider _problem isn't as well-managed as we had previously thought. Phillips, this occurred in your region, one of your cities. Why don't you tell us about that?"

A second figure leaned forward, a dark-skinned woman with her mouth twisted downward in displeasure.

"What, pray tell, needs to be explained Moore? Your department is primarily responsible for these types of situations."

A cold smile twitched at the corner of "Moore's" mouth. "Indeed it is. But last I heard from the reports coming in from your region of responsibility, the Outsiders were under control. Apparently that wasn't and isn't the case."

Phillips blushed angrily. "The situation, I guarantee you, was under control. Regular patrols of Sentinels, Prowlers, and soldiers have confirmed that the area is clean of mutants that are not under custody. Wherever the attackers came from, they weren't from my region."

Moore pursed his pale lips in thought. "Fellow Board members, anyone else have information on this matter?"

A large man with a face like a cinder block growled his input. "Filthy creatures are like ants: crush hundreds, thousands more continue to spawn. You'd think the toxin would've crippled 'em enough to finish them off, but we're still dealing with them."

Moore nodded, the light flickering off of his glasses. "Rockwell brings up a good point. In fact, I think it's a point that we've ignored too long. Why are we still dealing with these creatures? The Toxin X project was meant to destroy the mutant problem permanently; however, the unforeseen immunity the mutants inherited threw the wrench in that plan. After the events of catalogued Year One we started to rebuild the structure of the country, putting under-custody mutants in their place; service in the rebuilding. Those left have up until now been dealt with easily enough with the Sentinel and Prowler projects. And yet, out of nowhere, a force of Alpha-level mutants attack a _fortified _city and unleash even more of their rabid kind into the wild?" His rather oily voice had become cool and cutting, his hidden gaze scanning the silent table. He finished with his synopsis of events when no response came.

"Now, in summary, at least three hundred Gamma to Alpha level mutants have joined the Outsider numbers. It was purely stupid luck that no Omegas were being held in the city at the time, but our problem still remains." He ceased the tapping of his fingers and steepled them together, looking as if he was coming to a conclusion. "The fact remains that there are mutants out there, dangerous ones, that have become bold enough to strike out effectively. Sure, we've dealt with similar problems with Outsiders before, but not on this scale since Year One. And who is at fault here people? We are."

Moore stood from his seat, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward. The light glimmered off of his glasses enough that chilling grey eyes were revealed for half a second. "We have ignored this problem for too long. We are the ones who have allowed the Outsiders to regroup, breed, grow stronger. I suggest we crush the problem, before it becomes a crisis." His head turned to another shadowed figure across the table.

"Jones, I believe your department and mine are best suited to dealing with this. Call up your people, I'll call mine, and we'll get a few more Sentinels up and running between us both, shall we? It's time to smoke them out. All of them."

* * *

A loud clank echoed through the crowded space, allowing light to shatter the darkness and silence of the probation barracks. Near the back, Benj Dents flinched as the sudden glare stabbed into his retinas. They had been locked up in darkness for nearly five days, and the slightest light was like a hot poker in his eyes. Nevertheless, Benj was relieved that their suspension period seemed to be over. The barracks stunk of unwashed bodies and waste, and their lungs longed for even slightly fresher air.

"Alright muties, up and at 'em. Clean-up crews require any mutants with enhanced strength abilities; the rest are assigned to temporary living quarters until further notice."

Benj got to his feet as the rest of crowd did as well. He pushed his way through to Leo, who was breaking off to join the rest of the stronger mutants to assist with cleaning the damaged community. The blonde boy reached out to grip his brother's shoulder. Leo turned, and Benj felt a chill as he saw the emptiness in his gaze. There hadn't been many words exchanged during their lockdown period, but Leo's utter silence had begun to unnerve Benj. Their near escape and capture had broken something in his brother. That was something he couldn't allow to continue.

"It's not over," Benj hissed. Leo's expression was still dour, but he nodded. As long as their strange family stayed together, there was still hope. Benj looked over his shoulder where his group was moving out. "I'll see you later; I have to check on something."

He moved off with the larger group, herded away by several guards. Benj stared about at the destruction left in the wake of the mysterious mutant attackers. Most of the ramshackle homes were reduced to rubble, and the dirt streets were cratered and torn up.

The last mutant was herded through the electrified fence of the community, and it clanged shut followed by the familiar buzz as the power was turned on. Anyone that touched the chain-link now would be shocked into unconsciousness. Most of the mutants headed off in the directions of their crowded living quarters, but Benj turned in the opposite direction, toward the south end of the compound.

The south corner of the mutant compound was the only one devoid of buildings. It was an empty lot filled with weeds and crumbling dirt. The only manmade structures were crudely hewn wooden crosses sticking up out of the ground at uneven intervals. If a mutant died in the districts, they would be lucky to be brought here by any that might care about them. It was a last dignity that they could be granted, to be buried like a person. Otherwise, the body was hauled off to be burned in a furnace off-sight, nameless and alone, mingling with the ashes of so many others that also died in despair.

Benj peered around mournfully. The sky was clouded over, promising rain, and the lack of color in the surroundings made the area even gloomier. But he wasn't here to mourn the loss of so many innocent lives; rather he was seeking out a specific person. He peered around. One didn't usually have to search for him; he tended to just appear as he saw fit.

"You're not a corpse and I haven't seen you around before, so you must be here looking for me," wheezed a monotone voice nearby. Benj turned to behold a man well-fitted to the scenery. Sallow, sagging skin hung off a skeletally thin frame, while rheumy eyes blinked dolefully at him from behind a mop of drab dark hair. No one knew the real name of the local tender to the graves, but he seemed perfectly accepting of the name he'd been given.

"Hey Bones," Benj said while trying not to back away. The mutant undertaker unnerved almost everyone, and the blonde teen wasn't exactly ashamed to admit he was one of them. Leo and other animal shifters flat-out avoided this place because of Bones' presence. Something in their animal instincts warned them off. "I was just here…looking for someone."

The blank eyes blinked again, as his response seemed to take a while to register with the zombie-like mutant. Another oddity about him was how old he looked. He didn't seem ancient, but he appeared a good few years older than all other mutants here, in his early thirties perhaps. Theories had circulated around the district of why he was still alive after the toxin, but general consensus thought it had something to do with his undead mutation. Benj just saw it as another spooky aspect of the man.

"Who?" Bones droned, startling the younger man out of his slightly disturbed contemplation of the undertaker. He almost didn't register what Bones had asked, before his brain caught up with him once more.

"Two people actually, two girls, one rather short with brown curly hair, and the other pretty tall with short black hair and black fur on her limbs."

The zombie mutant cocked his head, thinking, before pivoting around and shuffling off through the rows of shoddy graves. Benj followed behind, keeping a bit of distance between them both. He coughed as the wind picked up, blowing a few small droplets of rain to come into his face, along with the choking smell of cold ash.

Bones drew to a halt before one grave, fairly new. He pivoted back around toward Benj, motioning with one limp arm to the grave.

"Five days ago. Female, fifteen years of age, five foot three and one hundred fifteen pounds, Caucasian, curly chestnut hair, dark brown eyes?"

Benj felt his stomach drop. The description matched Juke to a tee. "Is there anyone else with that description that's died in the past five days?" His last shred of hope left when Bones shook his head. Bones' mutation allowed him a strange amount of factual knowledge about someone post-mortem, and it was incredibly accurate. And if he hadn't caught sight of her in the barracks it meant only one thing. So Ali was dead then. He felt his breath hitch as he asked, "And the other girl?"

Bones again took a moment to consider before gangling off to another grave site. He pointed again and inquired: "Five days ago. Female, seventeen years of age, five foot nine and one-hundred thirty pounds, pale Caucasian, straight black hair, and pale blue eyes?"

A new hope caused Benj to lift his head. "No, Kota had green eyes. Is there anyone with a similar description with green eyes?"

It took the undertaker some three minutes to consider, but when he responded it was with utter certainty. "No."

Benj tried not to get his hopes up too much. Kota might very well have been dead, taken to be burned in the furnaces, but something inside told him that hadn't happened. That she had managed to escape somehow.

"Thank you," he said briefly, before sprinting back toward the barracks. Bones said nothing as he meandered off to wherever he made his home.

* * *

"I can't remember the last time I had a decent shower," Kota growled quietly to herself as she scrubbed vigorously along her naked skin with the old towel. Despite the lack of warm water and the ragged state of the towel, she felt as though she'd been bathed in the River Jordan and brought back up with a cleansed soul. She sighed deeply as she fluff-dried the lines of fur running up her arms, legs, and spine. Her permanent black tail was always a hassle when she got wet, but she'd learned to live with the slight nuisance.

She exited the narrow shower stall of the designated girls' locker room. She saw that a pair of old but fairly good sweatpants and a hoodie had been left on a metal stool outside for her. She twitched a bit, wondering how nice it would feel to actually wear a clean set of clothes again. Wrapping her tail up in a thin towel and curling the extra appendage around her waist, she slipped on both the pants and the sweater. She reveled in the brush of soft fabric over her skin and the warmth the clothes provided.

She finally stepped out into the hallway, and then jumped back snarling when she almost bumped into someone. It was Matt, her fellow canine mutant she had traveled here with. He was also surprised by their sudden run-in, but his only tells were the widening of his pupils and the slight flaring of his nostrils. Obviously he had far greater control over his animal instincts than she did. Kota forced the fur on her back to lie flat; she didn't want to seem too intimidated.

Now that she'd calmed down somewhat, she realized that this was the first time she'd seen him in his complete human form. Before she had only seen him as both a werewolf-like creature and a full on canine.

He was only a few inches taller than her, but seeing as she was nearly six feet herself, it was clear he was no short person. It was also apparent that he had just emerged from the shower as well, as he wore only sweatpants and his tanned bare chest still glistened with moisture. There didn't seem to be an ounce of fat on him, and his muscles stood out in fine definition. If she were any other girl, Kota might have found him extremely attractive, but since she didn't swing that way, his physique and ramrod straight posture told her something else entirely. He was an alpha male, both as a wolf and as a human. He might not be the domineering type, but if he put his mind to it he could make others both respect and fear him. Kota tried to keep a defensive snarl off of her face.

His face matched the rest of his profile exactly. It was sharply angled with an overshadowed brow line that cast shadows over his eyes, leaving them to gleam rather unnervingly from a half-darkness. Damp, short black hair hung over his forehead, dripping water to the floor.

She finished sizing him up, only to realize he was staring at her with the same scrutiny. She glared back, not liking this fact even though she had been doing the same only moments ago.

"What are you staring at?" she barked aggressively. His eyes blinked (they were a dark, royal blue), but he didn't show any signs of returned aggression or embarrassment.

"Your neck," he murmured, before stepping around her and moving off down the hall. Kota scowled after him, before looking down toward her collar bone. The skin there was calloused and greyed, permanent after-effects of the power suppressant collar she had been forced to wear for so long. She snarled and stalked off, feeling her stomach growl in complaint of its emptiness.

It had been some three days since Evangeline had brought them here, and around a week and a half since her escape to freedom. Throughout that time, she had been in a foul mood. There were many different reasons, but the greatest probably had to do with the heavy feeling of disappointment. In the early days of her capture, and even quite recently, she had always imagined her freedom to feel different: releasing, glorious and strengthening. She had always planned to take off the moment she was clear, traveling either north or south until she reached a place where her jailers could never find her. Then she could live out her days either in the silent, beautiful solitude of the snowy north, honing her inner wolf to its content, or in some tropical location where she could stuff herself with exotic fruit and game until she was one fat and tanned puppy. Now though, the only thing she could think about were the few people she had left behind that she cared about, which quite effectively killed any joy she might have felt at her freedom. In all good conscience, she couldn't abandon them. So her plans of stocking up and then lighting out of this place as soon as possible had been somewhat delayed as she dawdled over what she should do. In the meantime, she might as well enjoy the free food and board until she could make up her mind.

Kota poked her head down to the ground floor, scanning the main Nest area. She always made sure to come down when the busiest social hours were long over; she wasn't looking to get social here. Matt came down here even less, only going for food in the dead of night before retreating back to his solo living space to brood, or whatever the hell he did up there.

She trotted into the kitchen, using her keen nose to sniff out left overs. She cobbled a large plate together before darting out of the room and back upstairs.

She had almost reached her room when she almost ran into someone again. This time it was Phoenix, who once again looked like she had a thorn stuck somewhere unpleasant, if her grouchy expression was anything to go by.

"Does anyone look where they're going in this place?" Kota sneered. Before when they had been traveling she hadn't bothered to talk to the other girl, but right now her bad mood was beginning to boil over, and getting in a pissing match with Evangeline seemed like a good way to alleviate it. As she suspected, the amber haired mutant didn't disappoint.

"Apparently not, because I didn't see you watching out either," the other girl snapped immediately.

"Ooh, that the best insult you got?" Kota sniped back.

"No, but it'll hurt a hell of a lot more when I shove it up your ass Lassie!" Evangeline snarled menacingly, the ends of her hair beginning to crackle with flame. Kota felt like yipping with pleasure; finally, someone who could give as good as they got.

"Wanna try your luck Candle Head?"

Phoenix raised her hand as if to strike, and Kota tensed in preparation for a tussle. Then suddenly Evangeline froze, glared fiercely, and then lowered her hand. The fire flickering in her dark red hair died down. She stood back, giving Kota a knowing scowl, before stalking off again.

Kota could have growled in disappointment. She had been counting on a good fight to put her thoughts at the back of her mind for the time, but it seemed the other mutant had caught on to what she was doing. She probably backed out of the fight because she figured it would piss Kota off.

"Bitch," Kota hissed and stomped off again. She didn't get that girl. She spent her time saving other mutants from perils, and then she turned around and bit their heads off like they were the cause of all her issues, whatever they were. She just didn't seem to fit here; all the other Seekers seemed to function well enough, but while Evangeline did share bonds with them, she just seemed out of place. Kota didn't understand it and frankly she didn't care to.

Evangeline meanwhile, was in a foul mood of her own. She had been ever since she had debriefed her team about her adventures. There had been some inquiries about Matt's rescue and the lab he had escaped from, but Evangeline had said it had been utterly trashed when she had flown over it on her way to assist the wolf mutant. So the main topic of conversation had centered on the Outcasts' attack on the human city and what repercussions it might have. The conclusion they had come to on what action to take was what had triggered her temper.

Nothing. The Seekers would do nothing. Most had agreed that there was nothing that really could be done that wouldn't further enflame the situation. Also, Evangeline could tell that quite a few of their number had almost been in agreement with what the Outcasts did. Nikolai stuck with the Seekers mostly because he was loyal to them for saving his life some years ago, but he had never really hid the fact that he rather approved of their estranged friends' methods. The Russian was an aggressively protective person, one that wouldn't hesitate to cut down those who attempted to harm those he cared for. Dominic never judged the Outcasts because his sister was one of their numbers, Spring flat-out applauded them, and Stacy and Chris had remained quiet, but Evangeline could feel the slight satisfaction coming from their thoughts.

Evangeline had to admit that she didn't really fault them, truthfully no one did. Times were desperate, and the main reason for the animosity between the two teams was because they worried over the violent changes taking place in their Outcast friends. Something else was causing her temper to flare, and the force inside was stirring restlessly, increasing her emotions tenfold.

Her precognitive sense was going crazy. Something big was shifting in the near future, and she knew that the recent attack was the catalyst. She didn't know what exactly was going to happen, but she had been getting a lot of dreams. Violent ones. She couldn't stand waiting around for these dark events to become reality. She had to do something, so she was doing the only thing she could, at the very least to release the pent-up emotion. She was going to find the Outcasts and find out what the hell they were thinking.

She scanned about telepathically; making sure no one was nearby as she stole out. Donovan would probably kill her if he found out she was disobeying his orders to lay low and see how events would play out.

She slipped into the lot outside and ran swiftly to the outskirts of the town, preparing to take off. When her telepathic senses flared angrily, she realized that she hadn't been as stealthy as she thought.

"Why aren't you hiding out in the Batcave Droopy Dog?" She pivoted around stiffly, seeing Matt leaning up against the side of the nearest building, an old boutique long rendered dilapidated.

Matt merely raised an eyebrow, as if to say she shouldn't ask questions she already knew the answers to. Evangeline was still getting used to seeing him in his human form, but there was still that familiar, slight feral glint in his now cobalt blue eyes.

Evangeline cocked her hip and put on her best un-amused face. "Look, I don't see why you're following me around. I helped you out, there's no need for any chummy relationship here, so either tell me what's up with you or get going."

He pushed up from the wall and stood straight. Then he spoke again, which was rare after he had come here. "Call it curiosity."

"Curiosity of what?" she questioned impatiently.

"Curiosity of the world around me, and whatever you think is about to happen. Clearly you know something bad is on the horizon, and I want to be in on it."

"Why?"

He smirked in a very un-joyful way. "So I can brace for it when it hits."

She sensed what his true meaning behind his words were, and stone-walled it before he got any ideas. "You are not tagging along," she deadpanned flatly.

"I'm not part of this team and am in no way affiliated with you as you say, so logically I can do whatever I want." He had a very irritating mannerism, like he was on the verge of a jackass smirk but was just holding it back out of sight; like he was inwardly laughing at her but she had no solid way to prove it, short of ripping into his mind. However much Evangeline disliked a person, attacking someone's mind like that was something she swore on her own immortal soul she would never do.

"And logically, since we aren't affiliated in any way, I could beat you into the ground if I didn't want you following me," she threatened quietly.

"But you wouldn't do it," he stated calmly. "Despite your temper you aren't a physically violent person by choice. So, an impasse then?"

Evangeline hated to admit he was right. Truthfully he wasn't a bad companion, meaning he could clam up and keep the lid on it, but her emotions were on a roller coaster right now, and she preferred to be alone at these times. Overt emotional displays made her feel like a melodramatic damsel, at least in front of others. Displaying emotions was healthy, but that didn't mean she wanted to make it a public event. Aside from that, she couldn't help but be slightly impressed by the guy. He was logical, smart, and could keep a tight rein on it when needed. Persistent bugger too. Persistence, or stubbornness, was something she could admire. That, coupled with his fighting prowess, earned him a bit more respect in her eyes.

She looked back, and saw his eyes watching the wheels turning in her head. She offered him an annoyed and ever so slightly impressed half-smirk as an answer. He didn't seem triumphant, only nodded as he paced up to her side. He realized he was being granted a privilege and knew not to abuse it. Evangeline was beginning to like him more by the minute. He had his head screwed on right.

She held up a finger, halting him. He stared with rapt attention.

"Rule one: let me do any talking. Rule two: you follow me, and rule three: we get in a fight, give it 110%, no matter what. I'm not bringing you along just to play Superman to your Lois Lane." The last one was a bit of a test, to see whether he would protest her insinuation of weakness. She knew he was a fighter; one-hundred and ten percent was all people like them knew how to give.

He simply nodded. "Of course Eva."

She jerked her head in approval and motioned him forward. "The name is Evangeline, Matthew."

Again, the withheld smirking expression. "No offense, but it is a little long. Just trying to make things quicker."

She cocked her golden eye back at him. "Then call me Phoenix. Oh, one last rule. No puking."

Confusion clouded his eyes for a moment, before they were both suddenly wreathed in flames that did not burn, and were hurtled like a comet through the skies.

* * *

_Next Chapter: the Dominoes begin to tip. _

_Yay, an update! Who's happy? After a long break due to slow writer's brain and computer issues, I have finally come up with enough for a chapter. I debated making this longer, but I felt that would be jumping the chapter around too much if I added more. This is where the plot really starts rolling, so stuff is really going to start happening. Hope you've all had a great summer, and enjoy!_


	9. Warning

_For SilverStarsofQuebec, who I believe has waited long enough. _

**X2: Survivors**

The night was quiet and tranquil when the journeying Outcasts and their liberated followers arrived home.

It was a silent night, the sky an endless dome of uncorrupted starlight and moonlight. A wind hissed through the desert sagebrush, like a weary sigh brought up from the very bones of the earth. The jagged edges of red stone were like bloodstained teeth in the darkness, and the bare trees clattered their branches against one another like old bones. The howl from a distant coyote rang like an eerie song over the empty lands. It was a forbidding place, but to those forbidden, it was a place of shelter and safety.

James trekked at the head of the slow-moving procession of weary mutants. Exhaustion was beginning to dog at his steps just like any of the others, but he had learned long ago to endure. Where and when a normal man would collapse under the strain, James had grown strong enough to bear a burden both great and heavy. It would be an admirable quality in anyone, if not for the fact that he was only seventeen. To find this kind of responsibility on the shoulders of one so young showed just how cruel their world had become. But the young man was not one to reflect too greatly on his own sorrows, only seeing his mission, and only permitting the utmost stubbornness within himself. He would last through all the trials this life threw at him, he swore to himself, and when his time came he would die on his feet with his head held high.

Of course, his thoughts were not so grim. For him, things were going relatively well in his and his friends' favor. He smirked grimly to himself, fiddling with his armed gauntlets. Yes, things were definitely going well in their apocalyptic world; they were just peachy.

Heavy steps crunched up behind him and drew level with him. Danish obviously didn't speak, but he was peering about, his blue eyes intense.

"You won't find it," James grunted, shifting in his Kevlar armor. "We made sure this one was absolutely hidden." Danish made the smallest of grunts in this throat, but to James's ears it sounded like the deep-throated growl of a lion buried in the Pakistani's broad chest.

"I assume that since you've come this far you'll be staying on for a while." A nod of assent affirmed his suspicions. "Figured. I thought when you agreed to be on board for the invasion you had something else in mind, though it's not like you've ever passed up the opportunity for destruction before."

Danish turned his head to more fully meet James's gaze. An unsettling smile crawled over Danish's face, flashing pearly white teeth with unusually sharp canines. James frankly knew little about the silent mutant. The fact that he couldn't talk was certainly a large part of it, but by nature Danish seemed very solitary, even around many other people. He had worked with the Outcasts multiple times in the past, and was considered a member, but he often disappeared off on his own. In fact, before the city assault, James hadn't seen the dark young man for nearly a year. The pitifully clinging vestiges of his youth were present enough to wonder sometimes about Danish's past and motivations, but the cold and calculating leader Phalanx had long since ceased to bother with it. So far, Scream was an ally, and nothing beyond that was of any concern to him. But the predatory smile he flashed now did hint to both James and Phalanx of the darkness and torture he had suffered already, and the bloodlust for vengeance because of it festering within. It was something both facets of the same person could identify with, but James had a feeling that Danish felt it far more keenly.

A much quieter patter of feet on the dusty ground warned them of the third party drawing nearer, but Tonia wasn't one for subtlety. She announced her presence with a loud exhalation of breath and proclamation of relief. "Thank God, we're almost there. When I get back to my nook I'm curling up and sleeping for a week." James had to wonder why she did that. Spice was nearly twice as strong as a regular human, with far greater stamina, so it couldn't be bothering her that much. Perhaps she just voiced the unnecessary because she couldn't stand being out of the spotlight for so long. It was hard not to find it funny, that a girl that could be both vain and hot-headed could be such a deadly warrior at the same time.

But her statement was indeed true; they were just about home. Their newest camp had only been their place of dwelling for a few months, having been flushed from their last hiding place by an increase in machine patrols in the area. James had to admit that this one was far more secure, and that pleased him.

Danish watched with interest as James peaked the top of the desert ridge their procession had scaled. He watched the Outcast leader peer around the landscape, eagle-sharp eyes observing every detail for anything amiss. Finding nothing, he bent to the ground and shuffled about in the dirt.

"There you are," James whispered as he found a metal ring buried in the still warm earth. Gripping it tightly in a gloved fist, he twisted it to the left. A muffled clank could be heard, before he dragged it to the side. It revealed a dark hole leading underground, into what looked like a natural passage. Danish blinked, an impressed look in his eye.

Phalanx stood up again, facing the huddling group of mutants around him. There were far fewer than they had started with. During the journey many had decided to break off and go their own way. He didn't feel inclined to persuade them otherwise. A few others had been too weak to make the journey. The most that could be done for them was to allow them a peaceful death, burying them with what dignity they deserved on the way. James nodded to indicate the passage below his feet.

"I'll go first. Any who are claustrophobic will stay in the middle of the group. The passage is quite tight at some points, but I promise you, you won't get stuck. Now follow me; Hive and Spice, you bring up the rear, and Scream is up front with me." With that, the dark haired boy lowered himself in the blackness, the faint green luminance of the symbol on his chest guiding the wary group down into the earth.

Aside from the gleam of Phalanx's symbol, it was pitch black in the tunnel. Rapid breathing from those mutants scared by the small space could be heard, but the steady persuasions of their fellows and the promise of safety just beyond encouraged them. The sightless trip was then only comprised of the scrape and clatter of loose rocks and bodies against the tunnel walls, floor, and sometimes even the ceiling. As they descended, it got cooler.

At last, the tunnel began to widen, and a hint of light shone through to them. It was barely a glimmer, but it was welcome nonetheless.

James and Danish slid from the passage first, clambering to their feet and helping other mutants up as they made their exits as well. The newly arriving mutants stood still, peering about into the gloom. The space had opened out; they could tell by the drafts and faint echoes that they were in a cavern of some sort. Far below they could hear the muted burbling of an underground stream. Aside from that, it was very quiet.

When the last of the group were through, ending with Spice and Hive at the rear, the new arrivals began to press forward. An out held hand from Phalanx halted them.

"Wait," he whispered.

Within barely a few seconds of his command, the silence was interrupted. It was faint at first, but it steadily grew in volume. Many bodies stiffened, prepared to run as the eerie sound rose toward them, but were horrified to find they couldn't move at all. And all the time, the sound, an otherworldly yet beautiful voice echoed ghost-like through the cavern.

"I can't move," whimpered a small young man in fear as the voice drew closer, the haunting melody growing louder. Round a corner in a patch of slightly darker shade, that might have been another corridor, two pinpoints of flickering light appeared. A pair of eyes, a hypnotic shade of violet, began to approach. Nothing besides those eyes was visible, and the voice was steadily coming closer.

"You aren't supposed to move," said James, but his voice was different. It was airy, dream-like, as if he wasn't fully aware of himself anymore. A rose-colored fog seemed to rise in their minds, clouding their vision and judgment. The sound of melodically churning water below seemed to grow louder, blending with the voice into some archaic harmony that spoke to them in a language that they could and yet couldn't understand. Many mutants began to smile vacantly. It was _such_ a beautiful voice.

The eyes halted, the song reaching its peak, and suddenly the voice was gone. The mutants blinked, becoming lucid once more.

The eyes stared for a bit, before a clear voice with a British accent called to them. "I suspected it was you, James darling. You seem to have a fondness for arriving in the middle of the night, just so you can wake me." Despite the accusation, the words were gentle.

Many flinched, as a match was abruptly struck and light was breathed into the cavern, held within the glass of an old-fashioned lantern. The light placed the eyes within a face: shapely, pale, and not altogether human. The perfect dimensions, angles, and structure, as well as the perfectly clear skin, made the young woman before them look almost digitally generated. White hair streaked with a violet that matched her eyes, also glowed ethereally in the dim sphere of dirty golden light.

James nodded to the statuesque young woman. "I'm sorry about that Siren, but at least this proves I can always count on you to be on the watch, even at this hour."

A wry and rather shy smile twisted Siren's lips, the change in expression looking almost liquid, like her face wasn't completely solid in its movements.

"I may have stopped you, had you been intruders, but you had to know who heard you coming."

"Of course he does. If he didn't, I'd be insulted." A blunt voice grumbled from the remaining darkness around them. The second young woman to emerge into the light was a far cry from their first greeter. Rather than the eerily perfect and emotionless visage of the Siren, this girl was tall and lanky. A messy mop of copper hair with silver-white streaks hung over her elfish face and broad shoulders. Her pale skin, covered by ragged old yoga pants and a white tank top, gleamed in the lantern light. Two bleary eyes peered at the group, but only one could see them. A large greyish scar cut down across the left side of the girl's face, leaving her left eye cloudy and blank. The sleep-rumpled appearance of the girl seemed to calm the on-edge mutants who had been ruffled by Siren's entrance. She seemed to realize it and grinned kindly at them.

"I figured the new arrivals wouldn't want to go to sleep with our lovely Siren here on the brain, no offense Malorie. You tend to spook people when you do that in the middle of the night," she said raspingly.

Malorie nodded, showing no offense. "I apologize if I frightened anyone. It is merely a security precaution, to make sure no enemies could invade us."

"And you did your job well. You can go back to sleep if you want Siren," James said. The pretty girl gave another liquid smile, and with a sleepy wave she handed the lantern to the other girl and slipped away into the gloom once more.

The tall girl turned back to the group. "I guess it's up to me to be your official welcoming committee. My name is Kai Scarborough, codename Sonata, co-leader of the Outcasts. For now, you're tired and need to recover from the journey and any other injuries. Spice and Hive will show you to a space where you can sleep for the night. You'll have a more formal orientation in the morning, when we're a bit more mentally present."

A few tired chuckles rose from the group, before they were led away by Tonia's swaying hips and Cornelius's hunched form. With a nod from James, Danish followed in the rear. James suspected that the other man had followed them back here for more than just shelter and catching up, but whatever it was could wait until morning. Within moments the pattering of feet on stone had faded away, leaving only Sonata and Phalanx.

The half-blind girl turned toward her fellow leader. "How did it go?"

A smirk crossed his chiseled face. "Not bad, but we can cover it in the morning with everyone else. So…" he cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head.

A sigh and an eye roll was his reply. Kai cocked her hip and grinned, before sidling up to him. "Alright, I give," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it meant many things to James. It was the kiss she always gave him whenever he came home against all odds, and the same he gave to her whenever she came home under similar circumstances.

Kai broke away, nestling her head on his shoulder as they embraced. "I missed you," she murmured sleepily. James smiled as he tenderly rubbed her back.

"Aw, I knew you cared."

"Heck no, the cave's been really cold by myself," she said, flicking the back of his head playfully with her fingers. He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. It was only around Kai that he could truly release the tension surrounding their dangerous lives and his role as a leader to all of these lost people, and just be who he was with the one he loved. He lifted one hand from where it rested on her waist, allowing the long fingers to trace her neckline until he found the chain. He lifted it, revealing the sparkling ring dangling on the end. He could feel beneath the layers of Kevlar and the wool of his undershirt his own ring. The two didn't match, and neither could fit on their owner's finger, seeing as they had been scrounged from the abandoned houses of the more fortunate in life, but the trinkets were precious nonetheless.

It was unconventional, certainly, given the unofficial nature of their relationship and the fact that Kai was two years his senior, young though they were, but their reality had eliminated most forms of normality for them both. They might be young, and their union might be in personal commitment only, but the life expectancy for mutants in this day and age was frighteningly low. Dancing around emotions and waiting for a more appropriate time wasn't an option for them. Truth be told, neither much minded.

James sniffed precociously, leaning back a bit from their embrace. "Well then, I'm worn out. What's say you and I head back to our luxurious suite and snuggle? And that's not an innuendo; I would be about as much fun as a comatose slug right now."

Kai snickered, drawing away and clasping his hand in hers. "Yeah, that sounds really sexy. But yes, I do believe some snuggling is in order. After all, the returning warrior needs some gratitude." She was about to start walking, when she paused and turned back to him. Her nose was scrunched up with a bashful smile on her lips. "First though, you might want to take a jump into the spring. You reek like the dickens."

* * *

Kai shifted in the pile of old blankets, attempting to roll to the side. She was halted by a solid wall, one that was warm and breathing. Smiling, she snuggled a bit closer to James, indescribably glad to wake up once more with him beside her. The nightmares were far less frequent when he was beside her.

She lay like that for a while. She knew that it was morning because she could hear the echoes of the waking colony in the twisting caverns and passages all throughout their den. Using her powers, she reached out with her mind, bringing other sounds to her ears: those of the dry desert grass rustling overhead on the plains, the patter of feet from lizards coming out to bask in the sun, and the beat of birds' wings far up in the sky. Soon though, the swell of sounds grew too intense, so she shut them out. Stretching over, she seized a pair of high-tech-looking earphones from beside their bed pile and slipped them on. At that, James stirred, his strong arms tightening a bit around her. His green eyes blinked open and he grinned adorably at her from beneath his mussed hair.

"Morning Headphones," he smirked, tousling her already messy hair like she was a five year old. She smacked him off playfully.

"Have some respect for your elders young man," she growled, playing her usual seniority of age card. He, as expected, used his typical rebuff.

"So you're calling yourself old?"

"Shut up." She bopped him on the nose as she stood up, moving over towards the old duffel in the corner that contained what clothes she had at the moment. James flopped back and put his hands behind his head.

"Don't worry Kai. Even old and wrinkly as you are I still love you."

She gave him the not-amused look as she slipped out of her nightclothes and into her typical outfit for the day, a grey and black striped long sleeve and black cargos. "May I remind you of the newcomers that we have to initiate?"

"Right," James said, instantly going serious as he stood up and started dressing as well. It worried Kai sometimes how quickly he could slip from the young man she loved into his emotionless leader persona. She would have to ask him one of these days about a split personality disorder.

The two Outcast leaders left their personal cave side by side. A short journey through a narrow natural passage and they emerged back into the cavern where James and his group had entered last night. Only now, with the sun on the rise and peeking through a hole in the cavern roof could their home's features be seen.

The place was huge, to say the least. The size of this main cavern alone could easily be compared to a large catholic church, and the natural design worn into the rocks by time and moisture made it just as beautiful. Endless twisting patterns swirled the rock walls, and fields of both stalactites and stalagmites made it a sight to see. The sunlight wasn't in enough quantity to light the entirety of the space, but a multitude of strung-up lanterns made up for that.

James and Kai stood on a higher level of the caves. The ground floor was a good few stories down, a large sand pit making up the bottom where it bordered the underground stream that ran through the place. And even at this early hour it was already a hive of activity.

There was one key difference between the lifestyles of Outcasts and Seekers. Though both teams would swear up and down their differences, they were very similar in many ways. Except for one major separation. The up-and-at-'em mutants here were not talking or playing, or resting in sparing patches of sunlight. These mutants sparred fiercely with weapons, both archaic and modern in design. Others guided little children in hand to hand combat practice, showing them the right place to strike in order to break a neck. Still others were categorizing stock-piled weapons, checking the sights and workings of firearms. They weren't sheltering for peace. They were training, for war.

Phalanx and Sonata descended to the sand pit, the official training area. They had seen the group of haggard mutants that had been brought in last night emerging from one of the numerous passages, Spice in the lead, and as the leaders they knew their presence was required.

The group filed into the pit, staring expectantly at the Outcast commanders as they stood shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed identically as they waited for everyone to be present.

"Welcome," James greeted grimly. Gone was any of the playfulness that he had exhibited earlier alone with Kai. His deadly serious mask was fixed in his expression, and woe to any who dared cross him now.

"We Outcasts have one true purpose here: the liberation of our kind, by any means. I'm sure you have deduced that that means war. To remain here means you will commit to this cause. If you don't want to be a part of this fight, we can allow you shelter for the time and then supplies when you choose to set off on your own. Otherwise, training begins today."

He could see the many responses in their faces. Some looked unsure, others afraid. Some were staring at him hungrily, drinking in every word he said with a passion. Magdalena was one of them. Her slanted eyes were blinking rapidly and she was shuffling about, but her gaze was so intently fixed on him that there might as well have been a laser pointer aimed at the center of his forehead.

One mutant raised his hand in the back. He looked nervous, but there was determination in his gaze. James already knew that he would be one to stay. "How can we train today? We just got here, and most of us are still weak."

Sonata drew herself up and stepped forward. "Come forward," she barked, her kindly voice replaced by a harsher rasp. The speaker blinked, but he obeyed. Sonata stared intently at him for a moment, before abruptly hissing, "Defend yourself."

The man barely had time to react before her wiry fist came flying towards his abdomen. He staggered back, nearly falling in the slipping sand. Sonata barreled towards him. He was smart admittedly, realizing his superior bulk could probably resist her tall but narrow form. He braced hard, preparing to catch her and throw her away again. He was however not prepared for her to drop hard, slide between his legs, and throw crippling strikes to both Achilles tendons. He stumbled as spasms contracted the tendons. His brief stagger was all the time Sonata needed to lunge forward, striking him in the solar plexus with a solid kick. He hit the ground in a puff of sand and a whoosh of breath escaping his body.

The mutants stared open-mouthed at Sonata's speed and agility, yet they had the feeling that was only a fraction of her skill. She dusted off her hands and turned to them.

"You begin now _because _you are weak. If you can fight with every ounce of your skill and will combined when you're at your most vulnerable, you'll fight even harder when you're at your strongest, better than you could have believed otherwise. The world outside won't wait for you to catch your breath. If you plan to survive, you need to hold your own through pain and exhaustion alike."

"What are your decisions?" James asked. Some might say it was prudent to give them time to think about it, but James didn't think so. Mutants like these, that had suffered as slaves and experiments had felt their feelings festering within them too long, desires held above them like an unreachable light in darkness for too long. To fight or not, it would be obvious to all of them.

For a minute or so the newcomers seemed to consider. Then several began drifting to the side, showing that they wanted no part in this war. But a sizable number remained, the desire for vengeance burning in their eyes. Magdalena stood fidgeting, as if she couldn't wait any longer to begin. Danish, who had slipped in at some point during the 'orientation' was watching with the same unsettling smile on his face he had worn last night.

The Outcast leaders needed no further prodding. Few words were exchanged beyond that as they immediately began training their newest soldiers. Leniency wasn't something they believed in; they attacked with no quarter, forcing their recruits to think on their feet as best they could. For the moment they held back their powers, not yet knowing the newcomers' abilities and how much control they had. By the end of their first session the newcomers were bruised, sore, and ravening for more. To feel power and meaning in their actions again, after so long in slavery, it was like a drug to them. The bleeding lips and limps didn't matter as long as they could continue to hit hard and run fast. James was banking on that. A soldier was nothing without their drive.

At some point a little afternoon though, things took a turn in a foul direction, at least in James's mind.

"Phalanx!" called a hard voice. He turned to see a short girl at the edge of the sandpit, wearing dark cargo pants and a black t-shirt that exposed her midriff. Despite her lack of height, the girl was built like a coiled spring, arms firm and her tight stomach showing she wasn't one to be messed with. Her dark hair was tied back in a messy braid over her shoulder, and her dark-skinned face was smudged with dirt.

James broke off from the trainees and went over to join her, Sonata following once she saw them.

"What is it Nina?" Kai asked first. She was one of the few that could read the subtle nuances in the Latina's face, which perpetually looked pissed off to the less observant.

Nina said nothing, but jerked her head back into the caverns to indicate they should follow. James turned to a few mutants who had been with the Outcasts longer and called out.

"Aether, Juno, Ironhawk, you three work with the new ones until we get back." The three nodded obediently and jumped up to follow through on their appointed task. Nina then turned and led the two leaders back into the caves.

They wove through a few short passages before entering a smaller cave. This was the only area of the Outcast lair that contained technology other than weapons. Several mediocre computer monitors had been rigged up with a shoddy generator they had managed to find and power using electrical mutant abilities. It could barely sustain power for half an hour, but it allowed them at least some awareness of the outside world.

Nina powered up the machines with difficulty, even kicking the generator in frustration, but when it got going she wasted no time.

"Aerial anomaly headed our way. When I first saw it, it was just about to break the sound barrier." She indicated the incoming blip on the screen.

James leaned forward, his shoulders tensing. "Jets? Soldiers?"

"No, it's tiny. Singular object, and from what crappy readings we're getting, organic."

Sonata's head snapped up, recognition flashing in her eyes. James adopted a similar expression, but there was nothing pleased about the look. Without speaking he stalked out, Sonata jogging behind.

The two reentered the main cavern. James was already beginning to feel the hot tingle on the back of his neck that was making the hairs stand on end.

"Everyone, clear out of the main cavern."

All movement stopped and turned up to stare upon hearing their leader's odd and abrupt request.

"Now," James growled commandingly. It got the crowd moving, splitting up like water around river stones, flowing swiftly into the many branching passages of the caves. Within a minute the place was empty. Only Sonata and Phalanx remained, while Nina hovered at the tunnel entrance, her sullen look unchanged. She seemed to know exactly what her leaders were expecting, and she was just about as happy about it as they were.

It had been some time since they had heard it, but when you had heard it once, it was unmistakable. The powerful roar of flame and depressed air shooting past an object hurtling far too fast through the lower atmosphere grew steadily louder. Apparently, she wasn't very concerned with stealth at the moment. Not like anything would be able to keep up with her if they did notice anyway. James gritted his teeth. He planned to make this brief; he wasn't in the mood for what was coming whatsoever.

At last their waiting was over. With a blast of hot air and light, a fireball careened through a small gap in the ceiling that let in sunlight, before exploding dramatically in the center of the sandpit. The resulting shockwave from the harsh landing kicked up a huge cloud of sand, and filled the ensuing silence with the gritty pattering of the grains settling back to the ground.

She looked much the same as the last time Sonata or Phalanx had seen her. Evangeline's trademark scowl was turned up to the maximum, and to emphasize the level of her temper, her messily braided hair was still flickering about menacingly. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her feet were planted shoulder width apart. Despite the sand dusting her black and gold uniform and bomber jacket, she remained perfectly still.

James was a little surprised to see that she hadn't come alone. A tall, Native-American boy he had never seen was standing behind her, half in and half out of the shadows. He didn't say anything, but stood stoically nonetheless.

No one said anything for about a minute, a silent glaring contest taking the place of words. The angry tension was steadily building though. It was only a matter of time before it exploded.

Then James smirked humorlessly. "Evangeline. To what do we owe your intruding presence?"

She snarled, before stalking up to him. In all the years of fugitive living, the girl had never really grasped on how to control her constantly seething temper. James saw it as a major vulnerability, but he had to at least give her credit that she seemed to recognize it as well. It certainly explained why Donovan was the sole leader of her team, despite her being one of the founders of the first organized mutant team.

Evangeline stopped very close to him. Even with the short heels on her boots she was several inches shorter than he was. It didn't seem to bother her though, as she began jabbing her finger into his chest. He refused to flinch, but there was a lot more strength behind it than she probably realized.

"You know pretty damn well why I'm here James," she hissed. Her voice remained low for the moment, but one wrong word would have her blowing up like Pompeii within seconds.

"Yes I do," he replied. "What I don't understand is why you feel the need to sweep down here with your pomp and circumstance and proclaim your righteous ideals to us."

"DON'T ACT STUPID!" she yelled furiously. "My coming down here has nothing to do with the differences in our job descriptions. We may not like your hobbies, but the world's a dangerous place right now. What I'm here for is all about your boneheaded move out in Nebraska."

"You mean the boneheaded move that granted over two hundred mutants their freedom, if you weren't aware of the statistics?" he sneered back.

"And at what cost James?" The two were nose to nose by now, their voices rising to yells. "How many other mutants died alone and in pain because of your actions? Let me guess, you went for the mutants in the facilities, right? The ones with the really powerful mutations? What happened to the slave mutants in the outer districts? Did you save them too?"

He suddenly shoved her back, but she remained on her feet. Matt, watching from his unmoving position, marveled at how quickly things had elevated. They had barely been here five minutes, and already Evangeline and this James looked ready to tear each other apart. This argument, whatever it was, had apparently been had before.

"Are you implying," he growled, "that the mutants we save are picked because of their powers?" Evangeline went back to crossing her arms.

"You're saying it, not me. Doesn't it seem a bit ironic that a lot of the mutants that you pick up add a lot of firepower to back up your crusade?"

"STOP THIS!" The cry came unexpectedly from Kai, who had gotten in between the two verbal combatants. The look she shot Evangeline was none too friendly, but neither was the one she gave James. "What is the point of this? To go back and forth in the same arguments we've been having for years?"

James whipped his head to stare hard at Kai, but she didn't back down. James knew that she of all the Outcasts was still most attached to their 'brothers and sisters' in the other groups. It pained her whenever these quarrels would arise. It would remind her of the days when they were inseparable friends, the six founders, as it were: Donovan, James, Kai, Evangeline, Raquelle, and Rin. So she always refused to become heavily involved in the disputes, trying to remain on the outside. James knew this and respected it, but it still never stopped the twinge of anger that she wasn't beside him in this.

"Evangeline, please," Kai begged, turning back to the fuming redhead. "This isn't necessary," she said, trying to plead with a girl she had once considered a younger sister of sorts, and still did sometimes.

"She seems to think so," James couldn't help snapping back, "if she comes here just to accuse us of only saving mutants to make them weapons for our cause. Ironic that she finds fault with what we do, when the best the Seekers do is hide in their mouse holes and shut out the world."

Evangeline had paused in her ire for a moment as Kai spoke to her, but at James's accusation her temper flared again. Barely restraining it, she pushed to say what she had truly come for in the first place. The sentiment of her following words was somewhat spoiled by the fact that she was gritting her teeth to keep from erupting again. A hot throbbing in her chest, like fiery wings pounding on her ribcage and trying to escape, made her voice hoarse.

"So I'm not allowed to come by because I was concerned?"

Kai winced when James barked with cynical laughter. "Sure, you sound really concerned to me."

"James, stop it!" she snapped.

Despite the jab, Evangeline was managing to calm herself. "Believe it or not, I came because I was worried. For your wellbeing, but even more because I'm worried you don't realize what you may have stirred up here. Don't you know what an offensive strike like this could mean?"

He cocked his head, mocking a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, let's think. A violent offensive on a human city could possibly stir up things in the Nazi 'government' we have into action, action along the lines of additional Sentinel, Prowler, and soldier patrols? And such actions might, I repeat might, toss the country into a full scale civil war?"

Evangeline's silence showed that he was spot on.

"Yes Evangeline, I do know the possible repercussions of our actions. That's more than half the reason we did it."

Matt had been watching intently, and the blink of Evangeline's eyes was the only tell of her shock. Before she could reply, James continued.

"It's about time Phoenix. You've seen where a mere five years have taken this country; into the pits of hell, that's where. Where will we be in twenty years if we let it go on? Or fifty? We can't be content with just sheltering and surviving, or with waiting for the day the X-men wake up again and lead the charge. It's our duty, our responsibility, to begin and end this now, so our kind has at least the possibility of survival." His voice became fervent as he gave his speech, a passionate gleam in his eye that sent Matt's animal instincts tingling nervously. It was the kind of conviction that could be dangerous.

"It's time we stopped hiding, and start really fighting back," he barked in finality. Evangeline, again unexpectedly remaining quiet, turned to Kai.

"Is this what you want?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Kai sighed, not liking the contention this could lead to. "You know I don't like violence, even though it's necessary more often than I'd like. But I think we need to stop hiding. It hasn't even been a decade since… it began, and I can hardly imagine things any worse than they are. If we don't fight back now, we might not ever have the chance."

Phoenix shook her head emphatically, and opened her mouth to respond with the one thought ringing loudly in her head, when she was beaten to the punch by her erstwhile silent companion.

"Maybe so, but maybe it's a war you, or any of us, aren't ready for?"

Evangeline turned to Matt, who remained in the corner. He had taken the words right from her mouth. Had he read her mind? She thought he could only activate telepathic abilities in wolf form. Or maybe he had simply come to the same conclusion?

James turned hostilely toward the dark-skinned fourth party. "Decided to join in, huh? Where'd they pick you up? Another outlander, darting from shelter to shelter?" He pointedly ignored the stranger mutant's question.

"Lab experiment," Matt grunted shortly. James narrowed his eyes, waiting for an offended follow-up, but Matt only stared sharply, green eyes meeting dark blue as they sized each other up. Seeing that Matt didn't intend to continue speaking, Phalanx turned back to Evangeline.

"So you've satisfied your worry, now get back before Donny realizes you snuck out past curfew."

She didn't back down that easy. Her temper was withheld for now, but her intensity hadn't left her.

"You know my powers James; you know the future speaks to me. _IT _is saying, screaming, that something bad is coming."

He sighed and turned away. He might be at odds with her, but he knew of Evangeline's abilities and what they could predict and do. Hearing about its warning sent a chill up his spine, but it did nothing to his resolve.

"Then let it come," he muttered. "It's not like anyone has the power to change the past. What we did is done, and now all we have to do is face it head on." He turned back to a girl who had once been merely a friend. What they were now was anyone's guess.

"Leave Evangeline. You don't belong here. Things are already in motion, whether you like it or not, and the best you can do is get back and warn your team." He spun around and stalked into the tunnels.

The girl didn't bother to follow, simply glaring after him, but she seemed to know her welcome, if she ever had one, was worn out.

Kai shifted toward the tunnel where her partner had disappeared, but her eyes flickered back to the slightly younger woman.

"Despite the yelling matches and impending war, it was nice to see you again," she smiled awkwardly.

Evangeline sighed. "You may have missed me, and I you, but we both know that's not true. Come on Matt."

Kai watched sadly as the tall boy stepped up to Evangeline, before flames once more consumed them and they vanished upward into the strip of sky far above. She silently turned around and followed her soul mate down the passage.

Matt remained silent also as the pair rocketed through the air. It was a strange experience, highly unnerving the first time around, but tolerable with familiarity. He couldn't really _see _his own body in their comet of fire; he just knew instinctively where he was. He couldn't see Evangeline either, but again, he could somehow feel where she was. Below them, the ground flowed by like a river of natural colored paints, none blending but all standing out in their own distinctness.

"_What's next Eva?" _he questioned in his thoughts, knowing she would hear him.

"_Evangeline," _she growled back, _"and I have no idea what's next beside what James suggested: brace for it."_

Matt felt himself grin slightly. _"What's wrong with the nickname? It's not teasing or embarrassing."_

"_It implies that we have some sort of familiarity, which we don't."_

"_Then humor me. I've always shortened it in my head, and I don't see what's wrong with familiarity."_

A mental eye-roll came from her end of their strange connection. _"Because connections tend to come back to bite one in the ass later, namely when one of us dies. So it's Evangeline."_

"_Okay Eva."_

"_Uggghh… I sense that under all that stoic crap, you really like screwing with people, don't you?"_

"_Once upon a time. I've been out of practice, but I'm hoping to do some catching up in the future." _

"_Better make it soon. We might not have much time left."_

* * *

_A/N: To all you teenage writers out there, have you ever got one of those writing days where you just can't stay glued to the seat like you should be? I have to have my iPad playing YouTube movies at the same time to keep me in my chair. That feeling, plus the fact that my family and I had to drive over a thousand miles to finish packing up our old house, has taken this chapter a bit longer to write itself than I would have liked. Nevertheless, it is done, and now I can pat myself on the back and relax for a bit._

_On a side note, a received only four reviews last chapter. It's not a big deal (I'M HEARTBROKEN, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!)_, _but I know that there are more readers than that. It's not a requirement (WHAT THE HELL, YES IT IS, REVIEWS ARE MY LIFE ESSENCE!)_, _but I would love to hear your feedback._

_Next Chapter: Gemini and Replica go in for a night at the office. Only, it isn't __**their**__ office. _


	10. Covert Operation

**X2: Survivors**

A furtive knock on the door alerted Rachel Davis to the presence of company. Domestic sounds like this, oddly enough, always set her on edge, fear rushing down her spine like a cold waterfall. It wasn't until the sound paused, before restarting in a distinctive pattern that she relaxed. It was all clear.

She pattered down the stairs of the safe house, pulling on her grey knit cap as she went. Even if their visitor was a friend she still had to be careful.

A quick peek through the spy hole revealed their visitor to her before she pulled open the door. Catalina Rivielo stood framed there, bundled up tightly against the icy-cold winter fog that had descended on Boston during the early morning, and had remained throughout the day. Rachel peered up and down the lamp-lit street, but the cold gloominess of the day was keeping many indoors, and those coming home from school or work hurried along with their heads down, intent on getting home.

"Hurry inside," Rachel beckoned, allowing Catalina to slip past with a shiver. The door shut firmly against the cold and the threat of exposure outside.

"Th-thanks," Catalina said blusteringly, as she began to shrug off her long coat, scarf, and hat.

"Raquelle let us know that you would be coming around to pick up some spare equipment for tonight." Rachel led the part time Covert deeper into the house. The muffled sounds of the children in the den and upstairs in their rooms came through to them, quiet because of the lethargy of a gloomy day. The two girls entered the kitchen, intent on getting some coffee.

They weren't the only two there. The tall, bony frame of Trisha West was leaned over the counter, her curly blonde hair falling in her face as she examined a spread of papers and a laptop. Her head came up as Rachel and Catalina entered.

"Who's this?" she asked gruffly, eyeing Catalina with suspicion.

Catalina pulled to a halt. The instantaneous hostility was something she hadn't come across before, not even among the Coverts. The blonde girl was obviously a mutant; she was _here_ after all, but of a different kind than she knew. The blonde was wearing a tank top, so it was easy to see her tense shoulders and tightly corded arm muscles. The threatening glare in her eyes wasn't at all dampened by her wireframe glasses, or the softly relaxing glow the kitchen lights gave her golden hair.

Rachel smoothly jumped in before anything could happen. "Trish, this is Catalina, Catalina, Trish," she said, gesturing between them both. "Catalina sometimes does work with us. Trish just recently joined us, from outside. She's staying here at the home until she finds a place of her own."

Catalina and Trish eyed each other for a few more seconds, filling in all the blanks. Finally Trish nodded, before turning back to the work in front of her. "Nice to meet you," she said absently, though not unkindly. Catalina nodded, not wanting to disrupt whatever it was Trish was working on, and accepted the coffee.

"I'll get you what you need and then you'll stay here until the evening. By then Raquelle will have called you and you'll head to your meeting point," Rachel explained as they exited and headed toward the end of the hallway. Catalina nodded her understanding; having already studied the plan in the info Raquelle had given her, but not minding a refresher. The anxiety butterflies had grown to the size of birds in her stomach, flopping and jumping about uncomfortably. She reminded herself that Raquelle was going to be doing most of the dangerous stuff, but it didn't do much to sooth her.

Rachel stopped and pulled open a door at the end of the hallway. It led only into a crowded broom closet, but they entered anyway. Kneeling, Rachel shoved aside the what-not that covered the floor, revealing the barely visible outline of a trap door. Pulling this up, they both descended a short ladder into a tight little space. It seemed bare; all four walls blank dry wall. Catalina looked around, rather confused, but Rachel confidently strode to the left wall, peeled back the dry wall, and heaved her shoulder against it as hard as she could. A groan and creak later the wall slid inward like a door.

"We search for places like this every time we move locations," Rachel explained, catching the look on the other girl's face. "We try to find buildings with crawlspaces and hidden locations like this and expand on them. If the place is ever searched for whatever reason, hopefully the first empty 'secret room' will throw them off." She continued on into the next space.

It was quite different. The walls had been enforced with sheets of thin steel, most likely covering the underground support beams and structures. Catalina believed she could hear the rushing of water through the pipes that extended through the neighborhood's underground. The room was sparsely furnished, only containing a few metal chests and a cabinet of sorts. All of these contained things all necessary to an undercover and espionage lifestyle. Devices such as scramblers, numerical decoders and listening equipment for cracking passcode and dial locks, and lock picks filled up the cabinet. Likewise, the chests contained thin black Kevlar suits, as well as grappling equipment, night vision goggles, and small, easy-to-carry weapons.

Rachel caught a look of overwhelming on Catalina's face as she said, "I wasn't really expecting this. I…I don't usually do that kind of work." And she hadn't. Whenever the Coverts had called for her help before, it tended to be more reconnaissance related. The most extreme it had ever gotten was playing lookout from an opposite rooftop, safe in the shadows as she allowed her astral self to patrol invisibly around the perimeter.

Rachel gave her a calming smile as she strode toward the cabinet. "And you shouldn't have to tonight, if everything goes according to plan. You should only need a few smaller pieces of equipment, if things go smoothly. If they don't…"

"Yeah," Catalina chuckled nervously. "I read up on plan B."

* * *

Night had fallen, roughly two hours ago, but the thick, icy fog that lay clinging over the city made things even more oppressive to the nighttime commuter. The nigh impenetrable gloom billowed through the streets and clouded the streetlamps and glimmering lights coming out of windows. Earlier in the evening there had been some faint breezes, swilling the fog about but not disturbing it much beyond that. Now though the winds were stronger. The obscuring cloud was still too vast to sweep away, but now the rags of mist were flowing steadily through Boston, like restless ghosts. Far out over the bay, the distant rumble of thunder could be heard. Add in the eerie clanging of the buoys out in the harbor and the slap of an unsettled ocean, and it made for one spooky night.

It was also the perfect night, at least in the mind of the small, black-clad figure crouched on a rooftop two blocks south of the Genesis Tower in downtown. It crouched, feline-like, in the deepest shadows underneath a ventilation shaft, the dark bodysuit blending in like ink among petrol oil.

Raquelle, now fully in the mindset of her risk-taking, agent of espionage persona Replica, scanned her position, noting that everything was set and ready for tonight's job. The building was a good place to set up, positioned far back enough from the main streets that the streetlights and headlights of passing cars couldn't reach it and high enough up that the thick fog would obscure any movement from wandering eyes below. Being a standard law firm building, it was locked up and emptied at the end of the typical work day. Unless some delusional janitor happened to wander up here, there was little to no chance of being discovered by human eyes. The only legitimate threats were the air patrols, constantly scanning the city for suspicious activity or unauthorized personnel out past the city curfew. She had also taken this into account, choosing a rooftop, because trouble was hardly ever sought out there, and one especially that had plenty of cluttering objects on said rooftop: cable dishes, ventilation shafts, electronic routers for the building's power grid, and a rooftop utility closet. Should a chopper pass overhead, there would be plenty of places to hide.

A slight beep came from the headset and visor that covered the top half of her face. The small motion sensors she had set in place along the stairwell leading to the roof had gone off, indicating someone coming up the stairs. She was fairly sure she knew who it was, but unnecessary risks were a very large no-no in the Covert guidebook. She melted back into the shadows.

The metal access door cracked open, the handle turning all the way before the door moved, reducing any clicks or squeaks. Replica was not disappointed, as a head of silky brunette hair poked out into the darkness. With muffled shuffling, the figure hurried to shut the door quietly behind her, and then make her way in the general direction of where Replica was sheltering. The other girl peered around.

"Gemini," Replica hissed, stepping halfway out of the shadows. "Over here."

The Italian girl trotted over. She was still dressed in civilian clothes, in a charcoal grey coat that reached past her knees, a thick knitted scarf, and a woolen hat. Her cheeks and nose were blushing red from the cold, and Replica could see her trembling a bit.

"You couldn't have chosen a slightly warmer meeting point? Or at least have told me ahead of time where it was? Wandering around a frigid Boston at night, especially tonight, trying to find this place isn't exactly an ideal way to spend Friday night." She let out a chattering giggle though, to take some of the sting from her words.

Replica, barely twitching in the forty or below temperature, shrugged sympathetically. "Protocol. Couldn't let you know where we were meeting in case the location slipped out, and this is the safest place we can be."

Suddenly a sour look came over her face, and she took the other slightly taller girl by the ear, pulling her towards her.

"Ow! What?!" Gemini yelped confusedly.

Replica smirked teasingly, shaking her finger in the other girl's face like a scolding school teacher to a disobedient student. "Tsk tsk Gemini, you _never _leave your equipment exposed like that." She pointed towards Gemini's ear, where the faintest glimmer of metal could be seen. Replica rather messily swept a lock of thick, short brown hair over the telling sight, covering it up.

Gemini huffed a bit grouchily. "That comm. link is the size of a dime, and hardly visible. Most people aren't trained to spot the slightest discrepancy, unlike your James Bond team."

Replica withdrew, heading toward her unattended equipment. "But rule number one in the Covert guidebook: always operate under the assumption that someone is keeping an eye out for you. You never know when you _will _run into someone that can spot things like that, and a single slip up could mean exposure, and all the horrors that follow it." She bent down and started tapping on the small console keyboard.

Gemini shivered, though not from cold this time. "Well, THAT's a morale booster."

"Relax, you aren't even supposed to go in there if everything goes smoothly, but like they say, cross your fingers, but be ready for things to go down the shitter."

Gemini raised a dainty eyebrow. "I don't exactly remember 'hope for the best, prepare for the worst' phrased that way before."

Replica shrugged. "Now you have. Not all of us have the time to be eloquent, like you do." She held up a hand to hush her companion before she could respond.

"Come here," she motioned. Gemini complied as she moved to take Replica's place. "You'll be working surveillance, and that should be your only job. Here are the controls for tapping into the cameras, as soon as I get them bugged." Gemini shot Replica a look, but said nothing. "And here are the commands and controls for accessing the camera I'll have with me, and for using the thermal vision. The equipment for that isn't the most accurate though, since we don't have any air support and had to set the devices up on the perimeter buildings, so try to avoid relying on that past the fifteenth floor." Gemini nodded, ready for her appointed task. Replica meanwhile straightened up, and began to adjust her black suit and equipment with deadly seriousness. Gemini stared after her as she stalked toward the edge of their building.

"Good luck," Gemini wished sincerely.

Replica turned backwards to face her, planting her feet apart and gesturing to herself grandly. "Didn't you hear? I'm my own lucky charm. See you at the water cooler later." The Latina saluted smartly, before turning around and launching herself off the roof.

Replica hit the opposite roof smoothly, immediately following into a roll before sprinting silently towards the next ledge, heading roughly north east toward the tall beacon of blue-white light and winking window reflections that was the Genesis Tower. Her sleek dark shape was a wraith in the night, moving so quickly in and out of the shadows that only a mere whisper of a glimpse was available every time she moved into the open.

The buildings steadily began to grow taller as she moved further into downtown, climbing fire escapes and window ledges up onto the rooftops. Landing on the last roof, Replica pulled to a halt. Directly across from her loomed the Genesis Tower, a huge glass edifice that was in gaudy contrast to the classic New England buildings, or the modest designs of the newer constructs. The bottom half of the building was wide, taking up an entire block on its own. The entrance faced out eastward towards one of the water fronts, the main entrance to its soaring lobby flanked by sweeping wings of clouded glass arms, giving the east end of the building a slanted end like half of a trapezoid. The western end was rounded into half a cylinder shape. This though was only the bottom half of the building. The wider bottom section, according to the blueprints she'd managed to pilfer, were mostly comprised of the facility laboratories and the vast cubicle spaces for the mid-wage workers.

Her goal was the upper half of the building. Set above the western wing, the thick glass structure narrowed into a tapering spire. This section contained the much larger and more luxurious offices of the higher ups in the company, including the office of the company CEO, Gerald Hanson.

Replica crouched by the lip of the building's edge, staying in the shadow cast by the slightly taller neighboring building. She reached her arm backward, grasping at a long cylindrical case that was slung over her back like a quiver. The building she was on now wasn't nearly tall enough to give her access to the spire's upper rooms, and neither were any of the other surrounding buildings. They were however about level with the top of the wider lower half, and the distance from her current location to the objective rooftop wasn't that far. Besides, she had business on the lower levels first before she tackled the Big Kahuna.

With a quick flash, Replica brought the long and thin cylinder in front of her, clicking it open and withdrawing the contents. It looked like little more than a long metal pole, separated into three pieces that she connected easily with a few quiet clicks into a nearly six foot whole. The small sighting scope and miniscule switches along the body hinted at a more complex nature though. Replica drew the long device up, leveling it over her shoulder and pointing the slightly bulkier end outward toward the tower. Her eye narrowed as she sighted down the scope, like a sniper ready to take that single shot.

With a barely audible thump of depressed air, out of one end of the narrow tube shot a thin black wire, sailing through the air like an arrow. Despite the kickback from the shot, Replica's aim remained precise. She felt the jolt as the wire tensed, the barbed end having dug into the metal sheathing of the tower's lower rooftop.

Replica wasted no time in hitting a second switch, causing a second wire to shoot out from the back end of the device, which embedded itself into the brick wall of the access stairway hutch behind her.

She tested the wires on both ends, and found both relatively secure. Nodding to herself, and beginning to hum an epic tune, she clutched at the body-hugging harness straps she wore over her black suit. She connected several black metal clips onto the metal body of the grapnel device, having to lean backwards Limbo style to get in the right position.

"Ho-kay, here we go, here we go," Replica murmured skittishly, rubbing her hands together nervously. She had never liked heights, despite her love of risk, and even though she was professional enough to put aside her fears while on a job, stunts like this never failed to turn her stomach. Hopping up off the concrete, she wrapped her arms and legs firmly around the metal pole, clinging on like a koala in a eucalyptus tree. Gritting her teeth determinedly, she slid one hand up to find a small button. Holding her breath, she hit it.

The small motor activated immediately, sending Replica shooting out over the building's ledge and into open air. She forced back her scream, refusing to close her eyes in fear. She whizzed over the frightening gap, positioned too high for any pedestrians or drivers on the street below to see her without craning their necks way back. The wire bounced as a strong wind blew through the canyons of buildings, causing her already clenched fists to cling tighter, blood rushing from them and leaving her knuckles white.

It was only a few seconds, though far too long in Replica's mind, when she felt the rooftop come below her. She stuck out her feet, making sure to bend her knees. She jolted as she slammed into the lip of the roof, opposite of the side she'd come swinging in Tarzan style from. Shaky with relief, she put her fingers to work unclipping the harnesses, and then packing up the grapnel device.

Finally finished with the most nerve-racking part of her mission, at least for her, Replica reached up to her ear, brushing aside her mess of windblown curls.

"Gemini, over."

"_**I've got you,"**_ the Italian accented voice said over their link. _**"The thermal scan shows that the areas below your entry point are clear."**_

"Good, I'd hate to have to ruin some rent-a-cop's night." Replica replied as she stood and prepared to penetrate the building.

"_**Hold it! Air patrol, nine blocks to the west and heading your way!"**_

With smooth practiced precision, Replica flew forward and slid into cover beneath the arch of a ventilation shaft. She remained stock still, making sure every inch of her was pulled undercover from a bird's eye view.

She could hear them, the chopper blades whirring closer. Bright light from the high-power spotlight turned night to day wherever it swept. The terrifying light, like a glaring eye forever searching, washed over the rooftop. Replica closed her eyes to preserve her vision, but the light change was obvious as the darkness behind her eyelids turned red. Within moments, the loud noise receded, and the light vanished. She breathed in deep, before peering out. The blinking lights on the chopper were fading off south west, moving at enough of an angle that it wouldn't pass over Gemini's building.

"_**You good?" **_her partner whispered in her ear.

"Yep, peachy," she whispered, slipping out of cover. A quick scan of the skies showed no other immediate threats. Time to get back to work.

Replica skirted around the tangle of ventilation shafts, heading toward one in particular. She bent down, withdrawing a screwdriver from one of the small pouches sewn into her black suit. The bolts were tight, but she managed to have them off within five minutes. The vent grating swung open.

"_**Classic," **_Gemini snorted amusedly.

"You'd be surprised how much this works," Replica replied as she slipped into the compact space. She twisted around and drew the grate shut again, sticking one of her arms back through the slats and beginning to screw the bolts back in. She intended to come back this way, but there was no point leaving the grate wide open, in the slim chance someone discovered this before her mission was over. Coverts trained to fight, but that was worst case scenario. They tried their hardest to make sure their presence remained unmarked.

"_**If crawling through the vents works then why do we have half of the steps in our plan? You can't make it up to the target just through the shafts?"**_

Replica, now crawling through the claustrophobic tunnel army style, had to whisper lowly so the metal tube wouldn't echo her voice. "Oh yeah, that would be fun, crawling up to the thirty-second floor on my belly through these rabbit holes? No. Way. Besides, the vent shafts down here on the lower floors are wider for filtering more air to the bigger spaces and larger crowds. The tiny vents on the private office floors aren't big enough for me to get through. Especially not with my cup size," she grumbled, glaring at her well-endowed upper-chest. Great for picking up dudes, but not for wiggling through air vents. Gemini just giggled on the other end, before turning back to her Intel duties.

"_**Okay, I've got your location. You're moving into the shafts on the fourteenth floor."**_

"I need to get to the security room on the third. What's the quickest way down?"

"_**Let's see… Turn right on the third opening you come to, there should be a main duct going straight down you can use to bypass a few floors. It should put you out on the eighth floor. Then take the southbound shaft and follow it. I'll give you the rest of the directions once you get there."**_

Replica nodded, continuing her wiggling course. It was a tedious task, but Replica had long since grown used to the trials of this kind of work. Patience and endurance were the spy and thief's greatest allies, and despite her screaming desire for quick and simple, she was quite familiar with them both.

From the eighth floor, Gemini gave her winding directions that steadily led her down. At last she reached the third floor. She paused in the vent near a grate that allowed her a view down into the dark hallway, tapping into the link again.

"Scans showing anybody nearby?"

"_**There are a few guards on this floor, but none close to you. The security room is occupied though."**_

"Don't worry, I've got it." With a faint ring, Replica drew aside the grating and lowered herself through the hole. Still clinging to the vent by her fingertips, she slid the grating back over the opening again before dropping silently to the floor.

Now that she was inside, she slid a visor that had been resting on the top of her head over her face. It covered her eyes and most of the upper half of her face. She hit a button on the side. Pale green lettering and schematics flashed over the lenses like a screen. She checked everything quickly before turning it off again. Replica picked up a small wire that was connected to the visor and inserted it in the ear without a comm. link.

"Keep an eye on those guards; I've got the security guy."

Prowling to both ends of the hallway, she peered about to confirm there was no one nearby they had missed. Reaching into another of her pouches, Replica withdrew several small spheres, smaller than BBs. With an expert flick, she sent one down each corridor. The small motion detectors would alert her through the visor's audio to any unexpected visitors if Gemini somehow missed them.

Replica moved silently to the security room door. Crouching low to the ground, she stuck the small night vision camera, which was hardly the size of a pen, beneath the crack in the door. Flicking her visor screens back on, she caught a fuzzy green image of a bored-looking middle-aged man reclining back in his worn chair, his eyes wandering uninterestedly over the monitor screens. Smiling gratefully at the blessings of bored nighttime security guards, Replica pulled out another sphere, black and slightly larger than the motion detectors. She rolled it through the crack in the door and stayed still.

There was no hiss, no misty cloud to confirm it, but Replica knew that the gas pellet was releasing its quick-effect sleeping agent into the air. The guard yawned widely, and coughed a few times, before slumping peacefully backward into his chair with a sleepy grin on his face.

She waited a few minutes before entering, turning the knob all the way before she opened the door so it wouldn't click. She bent down to scoop up the pellet, before skirting the dozing man to approach the monitors. She searched about for the cameras on the thirtieth floor and above.

Finding them, Replica pulled out a small wired device and connected it to an open panel in the monitors. She waited for about twelve minutes, keeping an eye on the empty upper hallways, before disconnecting the device satisfied.

"Cameras successfully looped and tapped," she whispered, taking leave of the security room and leaving the oblivious guard slumbering peacefully.

"_**Right on schedule. Up next…"**_

"The elevator shaft," Replica moaned, stopping in the hall for a moment when faced with the sliding metal doors. She only had the technology to affect the cameras on a few floors, not the whole building. She couldn't afford the time or risk to make it to the upper floors the standard way, avoiding guards, cameras, and whatever other security measures the company had in place, and having already confirmed that the vent shafts were out at this point, that left Replica only one option.

Using a simple lever device, she managed to pry open the metal doors. She peered up and down the seemingly endless shaft, blackness above and below. Beside the doors though, a short but gut-twisting swing away, was a narrow ladder, climbing up and down into the pools of black. Replica sighed, thinking of the agony her muscles would be in by the time she reached the thirty-second. But the night was only so long, and twenty-nine floors to climb was no short trip. She didn't have time for hesitancy. Swooping onto the ladder, she began to climb. The lever device removed, the elevator doors slid shut, plunging the steadily climbing Covert into darkness.

* * *

"_**You're there," **_Gemini's voice came through the link.

"Dios mio, gracias," Replica whimpered a bit as her shaking limbs, burning with lactic acid buildup from her endless climb, clutched at the ladder. Despite her periodic breaks on the way up, Replica doubted she could have taken much more climbing.

The ascent had taken roughly two hours to complete, and add that to her previous time already spent in the building, she had been on the inside for nearly three and a quarter hours. She knew jobs like this took time and precision, but they tried to keep missions as brief as possible. Five hours was usually the limit, and with the upper floor security she still needed to bypass, hacking into the CEO's private files, and getting back out of the building, she and Gemini were beginning to cut it close.

With a last herculean effort and an immense desire not to plunge to her death, Replica swung from the ladder and clung to the edge below the elevator doors for the thirty-second floor. Gasping and sweating, she clung on with only one hand while maneuvering her lever tool into the narrow crack between the two doors. With a faint groan, they slid aside, and with a last agonizing heave Replica pulled herself up out of the shaft and through the doors.

She retreated into a small glass partitioned cubicle, probably belonging to a secretary of some sort, to give her body a chance to recover. Shaky fingers weren't an attribute the typical high-level intruder wanted to have. It didn't take long, and soon she was back out into the hallways and moving toward her objective.

The hallways up here were much wider, and far more luxurious. Plush, cream carpets covered the floors, and those walls not composed of glass looking out over the city were a deep cherry wood. Indoor plants and eclectic, modern artwork decorated the corridors, quite different from the bare greyness of the lower floors.

Replica stayed low and close to the walls, scanning every open doorway in the halls before she passed them. Before every turn down another hall she would take her camera and scan the area before emerging. Occasionally she would halt, pull out an 8 oz. aerosol can and spray the hallways, searching for invisible security lasers.

At last she reached the double wide doors of Hanson's office.

"I'm here. Keep your eyes on the cameras," Replica warned, leaning in to check the security measures on the left side of the doors. Her eyes widened a bit.

"Yeesh, an eight digit password _and _a retinal scanner? This guy is either the king of the paranoid or he has something to hide," Replica mumbled as she took out her number cruncher and connected it to the console. The red numbers scrolled across the device's face, cycling through all of the possibilities. Replica scowled; had it been a four digit or even a six digit password it would have taken a lot less time, but with the larger number of possibilities then it was going to take a bit more time than she had hoped it would.

"_**Retinal scanner?" **_Gemini's worried voice asked. _**"Aren't those nearly impossible to get past?"**_

"Usually, unless you're not opposed to ripping out a few eyeballs," Replica said as she began fishing for another one of her hidden tools. "Luckily, I came prepared."

"_**Say what?" **_Gemini sputtered. The shock in her voice was rather obvious.

"It was a little messy, but not too bad." Replica smirked at the silence on the other end, before snorting. "Do I really appear that psychotic to you? No, I didn't pluck the guy's eyeball out."

"_**You DID try to choke me out the first time we met," **_the dry voice replied.

"That was just the Covert way of saying 'nice to meet ya.' Ah, got ya," Replica said triumphantly as she withdrew a vial from her numerous hiding places. Within it was a single, short brown hair.

"Alright Gemmi, cross your fingers because if this isn't right then our night's going to get a lot more complicated."

"_**And why would that be?"**_

"This may or may not be the right hair. I didn't exactly have the means to get close to this guy, and we don't keep forensics labs at our apartments so I couldn't check. Let's just hope this hair I lifted from that Laundromat is his."

Replica removed the single hair from the vial, careful not to drop it. She removed her left glove with her teeth, full fingers instead of her usual cut-off gloves, and then grasped the hair in her bare fingers.

A nausea-inducing ripple shivered down from her mouth, down her spine, flipped her stomach, and out through her toes. Replica gulped, feeling that bizarre Gumby stretching all over her body. Mere moments later, what once was a short, wild-haired Latina had become a tall, lean man with wispy grey hair in an ill-fitting black stealth suit.

"Ugh, being a man never stops being disgusting," said a stern, slightly pinched voice as the man adjusted the now uncomfortable outfit.

"_**For the way you flirt I would have thought men appealed to you more than that," **_Gemini laughed quietly.

"They do. I may find los hombres delicious, but that doesn't mean I'd ever want to be one." The Spanish words came out sounding odd, nasally and horribly American accented. Replica in the CEO's form blinked multiple times and scowled. "The man's as blind as a bat; I can barely see two feet in front of me."

The pseudo-CEO bent over a bit, slipping the visor back to expose his eyes to the retinal scanner. Trying not to squint, he widened his left eye, letting the dark blue scanning light center around his brown iris. A few clicks and beeps were heard before a green light blinked on, indicating clearance. The doppelganger looked at the number cruncher. The last number was scrolling, and twenty seconds later a second beep and green light showed that the door had been unlocked.

"_**At this point, you have forty-five minutes in that office Replica. Go." **_

The office was no less pristine and austere than the rest of the floor, and it was obscenely huge. The entry of the office was wooden tiled in shiny dark wood, with several large leather chairs around it. There was a small wet bar in the corner, the mirrored shelves behind it containing all kinds of expensive liquors and glass tumblers. The office area was raised slightly above the waiting area, carpeted like the outside halls. The walls on the south and north sides were completely comprised of bookcases, packed with the expected texts and other expensive baubles, like globes and small statues. The desk was obnoxiously large, supporting a sleek computer. The trickling and bubbling of a fountain in the corner was the only sound. Aside from the clouded lights outside the giant picture window behind the desk and a dimmed lamp in the sitting area, there was no light.

The disguised Replica moved immediately to the computer, moving the mouse and waking it up from sleep mode, at the same time plopping down in the oh-so-comfy leather desk chair. The password was swiftly bypassed: using a special hacking chip Mainframe had created, she was able to cut through the lock screen and gain access.

"_**Alright, it says in the mission notes that the files you're looking for, if they're legitimate Genesis projects, they should be located under the 'Chemical Research and Development' file. If not, then they'll most likely be found in a ghost drive."**_

Replica, having returned her sample of Hanson's DNA to its vial and turned back to her regular form, tapped away at the computer, sifting through multitudes of files on company progress, sales, tax reports, quarterly earnings and reports, personnel files, and a 'whole ton of other crap,' in her opinion.

She finally uncovered the Chemical R&D file, but after a thorough search, nothing resembling her previously recovered list of ingredients and formulas could be found.

"Ghost drive it is then," she mumbled, deep in concentration. Her gloved fingers flew over the keyboard, employing every hacking skill and computer-related tidbit of knowledge she had.

"Got it," she hissed triumphantly, allowing herself a small fist to the air in victory. The hidden files opened up on the screen before her. She plugged a USB drive into the port, before getting up and moving around the office as the information downloaded.

Replica took out a small, green-bulb flashlight* and began checking around the room. She went through every storage space and examined every hardcopy file she found. She rummaged through the drawers, being careful to return everything to its exact place, and tapped on the walls for any hollow sounds, searching for panic rooms and hidden spaces. Nothing jumped out at her, so the info on the computer was her best bet for what she was looking for. She returned to the chair, moving a bit more quickly now. Her time limit was approaching.

**DOWNLOAD COMPLETE**, the computer read.

_Nice and simple_, Replica thought. She removed the USB and stuffed it into a pocket. She was just about to shut the console down when something caught her eye. She leaned in, the title of a nondescript file drawing her in: X R& .

Replica didn't like the feeling stirring in her gut. That single separated 'X' was making her edgy, and she just couldn't bring herself to shut down and get out. Hesitantly, her finger clicked on the mouse and opened the file.

"_**Replica, you should be heading out with the info. Why are you still in the office?" **_Gemini sounded edgy; she apparently wanted to have the long mission over with. The girl was tough, but she didn't like the particularly sneaky missions. She hated the stress of the constant threat of discovery.

"I found something," Replica murmured distractedly, clicking through the meaningless stuff. "I checked and it didn't download from the ghost drive. I'm checking it out."

She ignored whatever Gemini said next as she finally got into the file proper.

"What the hell…" she whispered. It was a lot of similar testing information that she had been after in the first place, but most of this was encoded, and the bits that weren't were in gigantic Latin terms that she could hardly pronounce. She scrolled down through the pages. Now there were ingredients, also in giant words that she had no clue about. "What the hell?" she hissed again. She clicked through more documents. The stone in her gut dropped even lower when she came across computer generated slides of DNA strands. The X gene was marked clearly on them.

Then she saw an email, already opened. It seemed to have no sending address. She clicked on it and read a short, but somehow ominous message.

**Completion date moved up. Testing to commence immediately. Extra funds being wired. Results required by the 23****rd****. Do not disappoint.**

_** B.**_

Replica stared unmoving, before withdrawing a blank disk from her paraphernalia and inserting it in the drive.

"_**Replica, what's going on?"**_

"I think Mainframe needs to see this."

"_**What's the ma…REPLICA, DOWN!"**_

On instinct alone, Replica dropped below the desk and grew still, just as she heard the door open.

Her breath caught as she heard heavy boots on the wooden entry floor. "Gemini," she hissed, hardly audible. "How did we not see him?" Silence on the line. "Gemini?"

Nothing.

The thump of the boots began to draw closer, and a flashlight beam played over the walls and floor. Replica bit her lip. How did Gemini not see him coming? She had access to the cameras, she should have been aware of anyone approaching. And why wasn't she answering her communicator?

The footsteps drew closer, as did the light. Replica fought the urge to swear in anger and fear. She had left the computer on, with the _hidden_ and _classified_ information splayed across the screen. The guard need only come around the desk to realize that there was an intruder. And from there it was only a bend down to discover her where she crouched under the desk.

"_Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" _At this point there was no way to slip past him. The office was big, but not that big. And even if she could somehow get around the man, he would undoubtedly notice the door opening back into the hallway, or see her reflection in the huge window. And as he was assigned to patrol the upper, more secure levels he would undoubtedly have a fire arm. Replica cursed in her head again. Basically, she had no way to avoid a confrontation with the guard. From the sounds of his boots clomping ever closer, he was a big guy. Even with her training, Replica was small and light despite her curvature and muscle. She might be quicker and more trained, but it would only take a good few hits from him to gain the upper hand. Not to mention she couldn't afford a long confrontation; an alarm could be sounded or another guard would hear the noise.

The only chance she had of getting out without bringing the entire Covert team crashing down would be the element of surprise. Deadly surprise.

She withdrew one of her silenced pistols from her right boot. She grimaced at the thought of what she was about to do. Not only at the displeasure in killing an unsuspecting person, but of all the trouble and danger she about to bring on herself and her friends. There was no way she could hide the body, let alone cover it up, so the fact of her infiltration would be plastered all over the eleven o' clock news tomorrow morning. They may not find any convicting evidence against her or her team, but it would certainly put the company on guard, as well as the authorities. Any future forays attempted at Genesis Pharmaceuticals would triple in risk and difficulty. Replica tightened her fist around her pistol, shifting her weight in preparation to spring out and take him down. _"Please forgive me for this, guys," _she thought grimly.

The boots began to round the desk, and she tensed.

Abruptly, they stopped. Replica froze, not moving an inch, her gun still held at the ready. Then, the boots suddenly pivoted about and walked straight back to the open office door. She heard the distinct click as it closed again.

Replica slowly straightened up, peering up over the desktop. The door remained closed, and no footsteps could be heard beyond.

Lunging, Replica snatched her disk from the drive. It wasn't quite complete, but she was sure there was enough of the information there to go on for now. After her near escape, there was no way she was hanging around to see if he came back. She exited from all of the files, logged out, and put the screen to sleep.

Replica was halfway across the room before she paused. Her better judgment was screaming at her in the negative, but her unexpected discovery warranted a watchful eye. Another big chance like this might not come around. As quickly as possible, all the while keeping her ears trained to the sound of returning footsteps, she set up a few hidden cameras and audio bugs. With her skill and experience, coupled with her panicked hurry, it took all of a few short minutes to complete the task. Then she got the hell out of that office.

Resisting the unprofessional urge to bolt about like a scared rabbit, Replica slowed herself down and made her way back just as cautiously as she had come in. Instead of climbing back down the ladder in the elevator shaft, she clipped her harness onto the pulley cables for the elevator car and slid down to the sixteenth floor, the one just below the secondary rooftop where she'd entered the building.

She had just managed to work herself back into the vent system and was worming back to her entry point when the communicator came alive after nearly fifteen minutes of silence.

"_**Replica, are you there?"**_

"Holy Virgin Mary, where the hell did YOU go?" Replica hissed. "I was worried someone had found you!"

"_**Where I was, was on the thirty-second floor, saving you from the stupid guard that had been checking up porn on an office computer, out of camera view, and then spontaneously decided to start patrolling, starting with that office." **_

"You possessed him?"

"_**Not easily. The strong minded and the very sleepy are a little hard to influence. He was pretty foggy. Thankfully I was able to send him enough mental suggestion that I got him to leave before he saw anything. It took me a few minutes to get back to my body; that's why I didn't respond."**_

"Won't that make him suspicious once he's more…aware?"

"_**Not really. I made him really need to use the bathroom. Not that suspicious."**_Gemini didn't try to hide the self-pleasure in her voice. For now, Replica was more than willing to let the girl have her moment of glory.

"You really saved my ass back there. Remind me I owe you a Starbucks sometime. So Plan B didn't work out so bad in the end."

"_**Technically, Plan B was if someone sounded the alarm, which didn't actually happen, I would possess the security room guard and persuade the other guards that it was a false alarm."**_

"Alright, Plan Negative B then, or Plan A plus, take your pick."

The sky was black and empty of any choppers when Replica made it back to her original entry point. It took her a bit longer to open and reseal the grate because of her eagerness to get out of there, but she managed it. Her brief, scary zip-line ride and sprint back to their base of operations were filled with the anticipation for safety, sleep, and a much-needed Advil for her poor tuckered-out muscles.

"We did it," Gemini whispered triumphantly as she rose to meet the returning Replica. Replica, hair now matted and skin shiny with sweat, nodded tiredly, though she still managed a wisecrack.

"Tonight's summary: two hour ladder climb, an unexpected file found, and near threat of exposure and possible casualty. Pretty good, don't you think?" Gemini rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Then her face grew serious.

"What was it you found? It must have been important, or at least it should be, after that extremely near miss."

Raquelle frowned and removed the blank disk from her pocket. She stared at it for a long few minutes before looking back up at Catalina.

"I don't know exactly, but whatever it is, I've got a bad feeling about it." She brushed her hair aside from her face as she continued to examine the thing. The ominous feeling inside hadn't gone away; in fact, it had grown even stronger. "I think we need to call another meeting. All the Coverts need to see this."

* * *

_A/N: Oh Hai Internet! Well, this was my first stab at a spy chapter. Firstly, I have to give a lot of credit for this chapter's style to a Fanfiction writer called Polyphoenix. He has a story under the Batman Begins/Dark Knight section called __**Legend**__ that has chapters with similar, James Bond-y situations, and that's mostly where I got a lot of the atmosphere and type of equipment jobs like this require from. If you like the 'Dark Knight' movies or Batman in general, go read that story; it's excellently written and VERY entertaining. I just had to give him a shout-out because without him this chapter would have been a lot shorter, and probably way more stupid. _

_And we finally get to see some Covert action! Can anyone guess what that secret file was about? Review and let me know what you thought :)_

_*Fun fact: Green and red light don't affect the vision nearly as much as white light does, so using a green or red flashlight allows you to see in the dark, but it doesn't negatively affect your night vision. _

_**Next Chapter: **__Honestly, I'm not totally sure. I guess we'll all find out together. But one thing's for sure._

_Things are going to get ugly._


	11. Let the Games Begin

**X2: Survivors**

The cheap flat would have been in utter darkness, if not for the hundreds of candles stacked upon almost every available surface. The numerous flames danced over the dark walls, silently aside from faint pops and puffs coming from the snapping tongues.

The cheap flat was also locked up tighter than Fort Knox. The door was double-locked and the deadbolt was drawn closed, the windows were shuttered, and even the crack under the front door was blocked off with a towel stuffed into the gap.

The flat's sole inhabitant sat in the middle of the floor, legs crossed, hands laid on his knees, and his eyes tranquilly closed. The candles continued to snap happily, the figure unmoving.

Then the candles set on top of the ancient television set began to display their spontaneity, different from their identically flickering counterparts. They all snuffed out at once, and then relit themselves. Then they began to bob up and down in oppositional sync, the even numbered candles from left to right dancing up, while the odd ones died down. For their finale, all of the little flames actually freed themselves from their slowly dwindling wicks and swirled independently in the air, waltzing around one another in circles, over and over and over…

A loud beeping caused a sudden burst of roaring fire from every candle as Colin Jamieson lurched up from the floor, cursing colorfully as he began stamping out a couch cushion that had caught light. Maybe he should keep the practice candles away from the flammable furniture from now on.

"Freaking, goddamn ringtone," he snarled as he stalked into his bedroom and pulled something from below his mattress. He stared at the almost blank screen.

_**Code 2. Old **_**Jolie's **_**nightclub at 11 tonight. **_

His right eyebrow rose, unaccompanied due to the jagged scar running down over his left brow and eye. There were only four codes that Coverts recognized: Code 1, the alert for a scheduled standard meeting for exchanging gained info; Code 2, the call for an emergency meeting over some urgent information; Code 3, a teammate's identity was compromised, and the dreaded Code 4: the entire team's cover was blown and it was every mutant for themselves. It was a rule during that instance that they couldn't go looking for their teammates, as it increased the risk of more of them getting captured.

Colin narrowed his eyes again, tossing the tablet back under his mattress. It was fairly late already, the sun setting outside his blacked out windows. Jolie's was on the other side of town, and as he didn't have a car and distrusted the cramped, boxed-in confines of public transport, it was going to be a bit of a walk.

He strode to his closet, opened it, and pulled a lockbox from the back. Opening it he removed a Kevlar vest, strangely armored pants and a leather jacket, and a belt with multiple loops like a utility belt.

He stripped off his holey white t-shirt, leaving the undershirt, and pulled on the vest. The rest of his uniform followed.

Colin stood and headed back to the living room. He would take the old fire escape on the back of the building. It faced the back alley and bad streets, so the windows of this bedraggled apartment building were always boarded up on that side. No one would see his departure.

Just before he uncovered the window and made his exit, Flashfire turned around. He spread his hand, holding it out into the room. With a quick movement, his fist snapped closed. The candles snuffed out all at once and plunged the tiny space into darkness. The fire escape clattered as he made his way into the once again darkening city.

* * *

_**Code 2. Old **_**Jolie's **_**nightclub at 11 tonight. **_

Alexandria Choi, codename Sentry, kept her face schooled into a disinterested expression as she read the message, before slipping her phone back into her pocket. Her finger hit the delete message button on the way out. She strode along confidently, her heels clacking against the polished floor as she attempted to tune out the consistent blabbing from her right side.

"Bought it basically brand new. Had to make a few adjustments with the engine and all, but mechanics are kinda my thing, you know. Seaworthy as a fish, and a sexier boat than anything else in the harbor. But anyway, like I was saying, you should really come join me for a day out on the waves Alex. Pretty girl like you spends waaay too much time on work, should lie back and enjoy…"

"Brian," Alexandria drew to a sudden stop, turning to face her fellow intern. From what she understood, his uncle was an important figure in BioTech Industries, and despite Brian's decided lack of professional attitude, scientific knowledge, and any kind of intelligence whatsoever, he was one of the head interns here at BioTech's Boston branch. Brian seemed rather shocked that she had interrupted him so abruptly. She alleviated his feeling of insulted pride by smiling charmingly at him, the special smile she knew made her eyes gleam and her Asian features practically glow with her natural prettiness.

"I'm sorry Brian, but I have to go. I have an urgent appointment that just got bumped up to today," she said pleasantly, rolling her eyes as if to say 'how dare those suits spoil the AMAZING conversation we were just having.'

"Meeting about what?" the young man scowled, obviously not very pleased to have his flirting interrupted.

Alexandria waved her hand airily about. "Just some side work I do for private contractors, really boring but it pulls in the cash. See you tomorrow," she daintily waved goodbye, winking as she slid through the doors exiting the BioTech office building and striding toward the parking structure. Thankfully, she had also managed to dodge having to reply to his offer of a boat ride. Slimy little cretin.

She mounted onto her pale blue Vespa and buzzed out of the garage, nodding to the security guard as she zipped away and into the city streets.

It was only when she was paused at a red light that she pulled her cellphone back out, entered in a hidden number into her text message box, and typed out a brief message to all included contacts.

_**Sentry en route**_

* * *

Jackson Winters grinned lopsidedly into the bright lights shining in his eyes, his ears cluttered with the sounds of clapping and cheering. He jammed once more on his guitar, letting loose one last powerful blast of lyrics, and his darkly enticing voice finishing the last long note of the rock song. He sucked in a deep breath, smiling again and waving to his fans crowded inside the small bar where he often performed. He clasped a few reaching hands, winked at a few pretty girls, before ducking into the small area behind the dining area that was 'backstage.'

He mopped off his sweaty forehead and sipped from a water bottle, before reaching into his jacket which he had discarded on the nearby chair to check his phone for messages. None appeared, but that only meant no one _important _had contacted him recently.

He peered around. No one was nearby, so he hurriedly punched in a series of numbers on the keypad. The screen lit up pale blue as a message flashed across, calling a Code 2 in the abandoned nightclub in only an hour. A series of very similar replies from his secret comrades were listed below it, confirming their approaching presences.

_**Flashfire en route**_

_**Sentry en route**_

_**Ashcloud en route**_

_**Lupus en route**_

_**Luck en route**_

So that meant he was one of the last to receive the message; only the members that stayed at the boarding house hadn't left yet.

A second ping sounded from the phone as new messages popped up: _**Pause & Acorna en route.**_

He was the last then. Swiping up his jacket, Jackson shouted a goodbye to the bar's manager to let him know he was leaving, and hurried for the back exit as he tapped in his reply.

_**Nyx en route**_

* * *

Trish, now going by Pause, slowed behind Acorna. She felt slightly irked to basically be back in the junior position. She had been with the Seekers for quite a while, and was used to commanding and leading on missions, being the guide to scared mutants as she and her teammates led them back to shelter. Now she was the one following closer as the narrow shape of Acorna led her through the city.

What stung the most was how little Trish knew of this city, even though she had grown up in it.

She hadn't mentioned it to anyone, deeming it unimportant, but coming back to the city of her birth was more painful than she had imagined. Seeing it so unfamiliar was like being dropped into a parallel dimension where everything's familiar, yet she was the stranger. Sure, the city wasn't structurally different, aside from a few new buildings, but the constant reminder of the patrols, curfews, and the ever-present threat of capture hung like a humid cloud in the air. Plus, when she had been here she had walked the streets openly, familiar with a bright, brine-scented Boston, the smell of the ocean always in the breeze. The winding path that Acorna had led her on tonight was dark, narrow, and stank of refuse. It was a whole other world.

What had brought them out of the safety of the boarding house was a secret message on Acorna's phone, saying something about Code 2. Rachel had explained that it meant an emergency meeting; probably pertaining to the 'job' Gemini and Replica had worked just a few nights ago. Trish had been curious, but hadn't expected that Rachel intended to take her along. Rachel insisted it was about time she met her new teammates, as well as got used to the Covert system of operating. So they had departed, some thirty minutes before the ten o'clock curfew, leaving Chatter to watch the kids. He would be in connection though, listening into the meeting through a wireless.

Suddenly, Pause's foot slipped from the thin concrete embankment and into the foul-smelling water. Her nose wrinkled, but she said nothing. She might not like it, but heading into the sewers was probably the best way to get to their destination without detection.

Up ahead, Acorna, a faint silvery blur because of her body armor, drew to a halt. She motioned Pause to the side, into the shadows. The curly blonde immediately responded, sliding into the deeper darkness. She could hear what her teammate had heard; the faint sloshing of feet approaching from an off-shoot corridor of the sewers a little ahead of them, among a four-way intersection of tunnels. The sounds were coming from the passage on the right. Pause's hands, half-gloved with fingers bared, reached into her pale white belt and withdrew a dagger. She crouched, ready for anything.

However, the moment the approaching person emerged from their pathway and into the intersection, Pause immediately lowered her weapon. The third party was definitely one of them.

A tall, pale girl had emerged, dressed in black and army cargos. On the sides of her head, pointed black ears poked out from what looked like mixed black and white hair, and a long black tail brushed along her calves and barely skimmed the water's surface. The girl's eyes were all black, apart from her flashing green irises.

Pause would have stepped out, but the girl raised her head first, sniffing the air. Her head turned toward them, angling her body in the direction of the other two Coverts. Pause widened her eyes; the girl's left arm wasn't flesh, but instead a mechanical limb.

"Lupus," Acorna sighed with relief, stepping out. The hybrid female nodded, her green eyes flashing.

"I thought I'd come across you," she said, her speech colored a bit with a Canadian-French accent. "I smelled Luck along these corridors, not ten minutes ahead of us, and as you two were some of the last I guessed we'd cross paths." Her gaze then turned to Pause, who maintained a steady gaze back.

"So you're our new team member? From the Seekers I hear." Her eyes were slightly narrowed and the black ears were slightly flattened. Distrust obviously; new members probably had a way of putting Coverts on edge. A mole could be disastrous among the secretive group, much more so than among her former teammates.

Pause nodded blankly, showing that she wasn't intimidated. "Temporarily. I'm not really suited for undercover work."

"Then why join?" Lupus cocked her head questioningly.

"I'm looking for someone," Pause said vaguely, before turning her head down the passage again. "Shouldn't we be getting to this meeting?"

"Yes," Acorna said. She had been standing off to the side, wondering if the muted hostility between Pause and Lupus would need to be tempered. Thankfully, Pause had closed off the discussion and put them back on track. "We need to go, it's almost eleven."

"I'll lead," Lupus growled quietly before pushing forward, her steps sloshing in the dank water and her tail twitching in irritation.

"Don't worry," Acorna said as she fell in beside Pause. "Lupus is always like this with new members. She'll warm up to you after a while."

"Truthfully, I'm hoping I won't have to be here long enough for that to happen," Pause mumbled. She appreciated what the Coverts did and what they risked, but ever since coming back to her home city, it had been nothing but bittersweet memories and consuming thoughts about her little sister. All she could see when she closed her eyes was Gina's smiling little face, or the sight of her parents dragging her away the day she innocently showed them the tiny flame she could conjure with a snap of her fingers. And it had been her fault, she just knew. Ever since she had discovered her abilities to turn the powers of other mutants on and off at will it had haunted her, that perhaps she had been the reason they had taken Gina away. She just wanted to find her sister, make up for her terrible mistake, and leave this place that had so many bitter memories attached to it.

Acorna didn't respond to her quiet sentence, merely casting a sympathetic glance.

The trio trudged on silently, before Lupus drew to a halt. She raised her head, sniffing at an access hatch above their heads.

"We're here," she said, before beginning to climb the ladder that led up through the manhole.

Lupus lifted the heavy metal cover, groaning a bit, but her mechanical limb lent her extra strength. She peered about the empty street, as well as scanning the skies. No air patrols were to be seen, and on this old deserted street there wouldn't be any cameras.

"Clear," she whispered back to the other two, before pulling herself up and out of the opening. She crouched there until her companions made their exits as well.

The street was dark, not even a worn out street lamp lighting it up. Several unkempt buildings lined it, all abandoned and falling into disrepair. Pause stared for a moment at the small store front across the road from them. Scrawled across the building in what was presumably red spray paint, though it looked black in the gloom, was a message. With the building wearing down and a large chunk of the front knocked in some of the message was lost, but she saw the words _mutant _and _devil_ and _kill _interspersed throughout the scrawl. In fact, the large portion of the destroyed storefront looked like it had been blasted in by something powerful and hot, judging by the burn marks around the hole. Pause shivered a bit, guessing why this street was emptied.

Jolie's Nightclub was an unremarkable building, just as deserted as the others on the street, the neon lights broken and the bright colors faded. Lupus shoved against the sticking door with her shoulder, barreling her way in. They wound past the front into the largest open area in the center of the building.

It appeared empty, but Pause wasn't fooled. She guessed that Coverts were well-versed in hiding and disappearing; they were here somewhere.

She waited for a moment, before Acorna and Lupus each exclaimed lines of poetic, old-world literature into the vacant space. Pause recognized them as stanzas from Shakespeare's _Macbeth. _

Apparently these lines were passwords of some sort, because the moment the two other Coverts fell silent, some half a dozen figures melted out of the shadows like ghosts.

Some of them Pause recognized, by description if not by familiarity. Mainframe and Replica she could spot easily enough, having heard them described by Donovan and occasionally Evangeline before. Flashfire she could also recognize; he had stopped by the boarding house a few weeks ago for a short time before departing again. There were a few others she didn't know.

"Now we're only missing Nyx," Mainframe spoke up first among the group.

Lupus sniffed the air again deeply, before turning to her leader. "He isn't far."

Indeed, only a few minutes later, a very tall and handsome boy with black hair arrived at their rendezvous spot. All the Coverts were assembled.

Mainframe, probably the orator of the group, much like Limb was back with the Seekers, spoke again. "Three nights ago Replica and Gemini came across some unexpected information during their mission. This is the reason why we called the emergency meeting. First off though, I should introduce our newest member, Trisha West, or Pause." He motioned to her. She merely nodded in greeting, which they all returned. Mainframe then pointed out by name everyone she didn't know, including Sentry, Nyx, a narrow-faced Indian boy named Aakar and codenamed Ashcloud, and a petite Japanese girl called Asuka. Her codename was Luck. It wasn't exactly the type of meet-and-greet where you go in a circle listing off your name, age, and favorite cereal, but it helped Pause a bit to actually know who she was in league with.

"Chatter, are you on with us?" Mainframe asked to their single member that wasn't present.

"_**I can hear you all." **_Chatter's voice, emanating from a small radio link clipped to Acorna's belt, confirmed that he was listening in.

"Good." Mainframe turned to Replica. She didn't speak, but pulled out a standard black tablet. She turned it on, pulling up some images.

"While I was searching for the testing information, I came across some other hidden information on Hanson's computer. It was on a secret file hidden on a private server. Whatever it is, it's not general information among the company." She hit something on her screen.

Pause saw all of the others pulling out their phones, all of which were of the same unobtrusive make and model. She followed suit, and found that Replica had transferred a file. She opened it, and all the Coverts began to examine it.

There was silence for a while, as they all absorbed what Replica had uncovered.

"Testing to begin… testing for what?" Sentry asked, her voice and face grim.

"I don't know," Replica grunted. "I didn't have much time to read through what was there. Also, I had to pull out fast, so some of the information on the original disk isn't complete. I brought it," she said, pulling the disk from a pocket on the right thigh of her suit. "I was hoping you can take a look at it Sentry; see if you can't get something more out of it."

Sentry took it tenuously. Pause watched curiously. Aside from the other girl closing her eyes, she didn't really see her doing anything. Then when she glanced down a bit, she saw spider-web-like tendrils of dark blue running along Sentry's hand, and scrawled over the disk's surface. The lines weren't solid, more like shadows being cast over the hand and disk, but it was too dark for any such shadows to be cast.

Sentry reopened her eyes, shaking her head as she handed the disk back to her teammate. "I didn't think it would work, but it was worth a try. I get information from the objects specifically, relating to who's been in contact with them. All I can see with this is when you used it to copy the info, not much else."

Replica let out a disappointed sigh, but nodded her thanks for the effort anyway.

Chatter's transferred voice joined in the conversation. _**"These slides…of the X genes – I think this relates to the testing."**_

"No shit?" Lupus grunted sarcastically.

"_**No, I mean that we're probably thinking along the lines of the Toxin, but these specific genes are biological codes for different individual mutant powers."**_

"Why do you think that?" Luck asked questioningly.

"_**Well, the text covering most of the pages Replica managed to recover use terms relating to specific chromosomes and genes. It looks like they were decoding the DNA strands for those specific parts of the code."**_

"Yeah, I saw that," Mainframe murmured, but he seemed only half-present, still consumed in reading the information.

"_**In the first pages, it lists all of the codes in order according to which mutant's genes it belongs to, but in the later pages they start jumbling, mixing into hundreds of different combinations."**_

"Mixing X genes?" Pause had spoken the thought on an impulse, not having really thought it out. Everyone turned to stare at her.

"What?" Luck asked.

"Uh… it sounds to me like mixing X genes?" She stated it more like a question than a statement, her stomach coiling a bit in embarrassment. It sounded incredibly far-fetched now that she was paying attention to what she'd said.

Mainframe stared at her. She felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny, but he slowly began to nod, casting his eyes back down to his phone. "That might be a possibility. The combinations of genetic codes, possibly to grant mutants additional abilities, or to create a whole new one altogether."

"Why would they do that?" Ashcloud asked. "They've been trying their damnedest to wipe us out. Why would they be working on giving a single mutant even more power?"

"Profit maybe," Lupus spoke. "Mixing genes isn't totally unrealistic." All attention turned to her. Lupus was most often the Covert member that was responsible for smuggling fugitive mutants out of the city and into remote regions, mostly empty areas of southern Canada. Her knowledge of goings-on outside the borders of cities was probably more extensive than any of her other teammates, excepting Pause.

"Mixing genes, or 'splicing' I think it's called, has been used before," she began. "Though, from what I've heard it has a very low success rate. There are groups of humans that don't live inside city limits, and those usually tend to be of the undesirable crowd that happened to smell cash even in our country's decrepit state. The hot commodity switched from drugs to mutants, plucked fresh from the wild." Her voice was filled with dark humor, her green irises flashing dangerously.

"How do you make a profit off of that?" Acorna asked. Her face was etched with a dour expression.

"Anyway they know how," Lupus growled. "You know people these days can purchase mutants, just like slaves or rare animals? Course that comes at a high price, all these new licenses and precautions and such to make sure said mutant doesn't get loose, or go on a rampage. It's not cheap."

There was a seething tension in the room now. To hear about selling and purchasing of people like them was beginning to bite deep. Pause bit on the inside of her cheek, trying to hold in the roiling anger.

Lupus continued. "These cartels, that's basically what they are, can offer mutants for much cheaper prices with under-the-table deals, that tend to skip all the licensing and extra payments required for a legal purchase. Some under the radar kind of people might buy a mutant, say, if they find there would be a thrill in owning a beautiful female mutant for their personal needs, or a strong young male they can enter into underground fighting rings. Mutants with flashy powers tend to fetch higher prices. More risk, more show-off potential."

Pause tensed, an awful thought coming to mind. Was this was how Gina was living now? Enslaved to the will of some sick-minded monster, or fighting for her life in a cage surrounded by screaming, jeering onlookers? She shoved the gut-twisting thoughts away.

"That's where splicing comes in," Lupus said. "Like I said, it's probably a twenty-five to one chance it won't work, but there are cases where transferring additional X genes into a single mutant has worked. It's a way to raise the price on a mutant whose power might not bring in as much as the cartel wants."

Replica's lip was twisted in fury, but her mind was still focused enough. "So what, the Genesis Company is trying to perfect it? They'd certainly be a lot more capable than some hacksaw surgeon working for these cartels out in the boonies."

"This is all circumstantial," Mainframe reminded them all. "We're just drawing our best guess from what we've seen so far. We have no way to be positive this is what this means."

"Yeah, but if they were, why would they do it?" Acorna asked.

"Military applications probably." Flashfire had spoken for the first time. His glare, twisted a bit because of his long facial scar, was ponderous, thinking ahead to what this could mean. "They're being ordered to do this, by whoever or whatever this "B" is that sent the email to them. The only thing that could have the power to hold influence over this kind of large corporation would be a government faction. Whether they're splicing or not, whatever is going on, this "B" is the source of it."

They all agreed on that point. "Chatter and I will work on this, try and get it translated," Mainframe said. "Whatever operation they're running has been sped up, according to the email. It's best we figure this out as soon as we can."

"Does that mean we take our eyes off of BioTech?" Sentry asked.

"No, we're keeping our finger in that pie, but we're going to have to pay special attention to Genesis from now on."

"I got the CEO's office bugged," Replica added. "Wish I could have stolen a pen or something though; Sentry could have given us a lot of information from something like that. Maybe I'll stalk him to the Laundromat again, steal one of this ties or something."

"Just make sure it's clean," Sentry smirked, garnering a chuckle or two.

"_**Do you think the other teams should be alerted to this?"**_ Chatter's question caused Mainframe and Replica to pause. They both exchanged looks, thinking.

"No, I don't think so. Not yet at least," Mainframe decided. "The ball is still in our court at this point, and we don't know much yet. If we find anything that concerns them, we'll send out the message."

Replica checked her watch, and then looked up at their circle. "I have a feeling we're drawing to a close here. The eleven-forty-five air patrol will be passing over in a few minutes, so if we want to get out of here at the safest time, we'd better wrap this up."

They all nodded, confirmed they had the necessary data stored with them, and then broke apart.

"Come on," Acorna nodded her head away, calling Pause to head back to the boarding house. She was about to follow when she spotted Mainframe and Replica heading towards her. She stopped, as did Acorna as she waited for her just out of earshot.

"I'm guessing you've wanted more information on your sister," Mainframe said without prelude as he arrived. Pause nodded slowly, trying to keep her emotions hidden. The tall young man withdrew an SD card and a small sheaf of papers from the black jacket he wore that went with his 'working suit.'

"We found this among a census database listing all tagged mutants in Boston and its connected regions, listed as _Regina Denise West, age 10. _Other information like her birth date and mutant powers was in there too. Does it sound like her?"

Pause read through the information, taking in a shaky breath. "Yeah… yeah, it's her."

Mainframe nodded, his brilliant golden eyes softening. Her walls were cracking, letting some of her sorrow slip through, but he would never judge her for it. "We have a few pictures too," he said, motioning to the SD card. "These were actually taken a few months before we found her name in the census, of a truck transporting mutants between containment camps in the outer regions. They're always shifting the tenants between the camps to keep them from formulating escape plans or rescue attempts. We were staking it out, trying to figure out the pattern for transport dates and destinations. Chatter found it not long after we found her name; we think that she's in some of the pictures, among the transport group."

Pause remained quiet, only nodding. She didn't trust herself to speak without her voice shaking.

Mainframe nodded in farewell, before falling back. Replica meanwhile, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward.

"You're gonna want these," she said, handing over a thin package. "It's your fake ID, insurance, birth certificate, everything you need to blend in. I, uh, noticed you weren't exactly unfamiliar to Boston, so your name is different. Better get used to using it before you reemerge to the surface world. And I took the liberty of renting you a small apartment on the north side, about a mile away from where I'm staying. Everything's in your name and you're expected to move in next week on Wednesday."

"Thanks," Pause smiled thinly, "but you didn't have to. How did you even pay for it?"

"We pool our funds," Replica shrugged, twitching a dark curl from her face. "Oh, and one last thing. This is the number for your private bank account for the boring stuff, like groceries, bills, et cetera, et cetera. And this is the number for the joint account we share for emergency needs, like if one of us breaks a leg or something. It's under the name 'Boston Interest and Loan.'"

"Thanks," Pause said again.

"Don't mention it. Welcome to the fold soldier," Replica grinned a bit, before looking toward Acorna who still waited patiently. "Better get back before the next patrol swings by. See you in the funny papers." With that Replica sauntered off, disappearing into the shadows. By this time everyone else had departed, leaving Acorna and Pause alone. Pause glanced down at the objects she held in her hand. Her desire to get back to the house increased tenfold. She pivoted around swiftly, and followed Acorna as they too proceeded to vanish into the darkness.

* * *

Tyler Dyson clung tightly to the metal piping that crawled like a skeleton through the newly re-erected energy tower's center. His spade-like tail flicked absently, its end wrapped as tightly as it could around a set of pliers.

"Which one was it?" he yelled back down about twenty feet.

"It should be the copper one, about a foot above your head and connected to the green slot."

Tyler found the correct connection, and twisted out the ruined wire. There was a brief spark, but the heat didn't bother him. Once disconnected, Tyler proceeded to tear out and coil up the rest of the old wire around his shoulder. Then he slid back down toward ground level, trying to ignore his aching muscles.

The past several weeks since the attack had been consumed with trying to repair the massive damages caused to the facilities. He saw his two brothers a ways off; Benj was helping shift the rubble left into trucks to haul it away, while Leo was up on another energy tower, using both his metallic lion claws and a plasma torch to cut away the twisted sections.

He finally dropped to the dusty ground to join his working partner, Jesse Taylor.

"And that should be it," Jesse murmured, his Australian accent still heavy as he peered through the tower's blue prints to make sure they had gotten out all of the defective parts. He nodded and looked up, smiling amiably at Tyler. "Nice job Ty."

Tyler nodded. Jesse was perhaps the most average of people one could come across; his brown hair and green eyes nothing exceptional, and his attitude as close to average as one could get, especially in these days. Normally Tyler could always feel a bitter taste in his mouth around mutants like Jesse, ones that looked so normal. It wasn't personal, but after all of the crap he'd suffered at the expense of his demonic appearance, it wasn't something he could really help. However, it wasn't really a problem around Jesse. Despite everything he always seemed lighthearted, and even with his frightening looks Jesse had never seemed wary around the eldest Dyson. Tyler had found against all odds he had grown to like the guy. Not that he'd ever tell Jesse that; give the kid an inch and he would be spouting out unfunny jokes at every opportunity.

Jesse wiped his hands off on his grey pants, peering up. "That's three down. 'Bout a dozen more to go." Tyler let out a deep breath through his nose, rolling his shoulders.

Suddenly Jesse leaned over, peering intently back towards where the guard stations were. "What's goin' on over there?"

Tyler turned to look. There was a cluster of guards gathered near the stations, more so than there probably should be. They must have just recently assembled, because Tyler couldn't recall seeing them there hardly fifteen minutes ago.

Suddenly two burly guards toting semi-automatics began striding toward them. Several other men broke off from the group and began to advance on the mutant workers.

"What are they doing?" Jesse questioned, fear beginning to creep into his voice as he backed up into the tower. Tyler stood his ground, narrowing his icy blue eyes. Whatever the guards intended to do, he wasn't going to cower away.

The guards drew to a halt, leveling their weapons at the two. Tyler tensed, preparing to dodge, but the man on the right grunted deeply.

"These two can go first." Tyler didn't have much time to be confused before the big man barked at him. "Alright, you two mutants move it."

"What for?" Tyler growled defiantly. He was answered by the gun barrel slamming into his ribcage. He dropped to his knees, gasping in pain. Jesse ran up to help him, but the second guard grabbed him by the hair and shoved him past.

"I said move it, and if you don't want a lot worse than what I just gave you, you'll do it quietly." The first man seized Tyler roughly by the short horns on his head and pushed him after Jesse, keeping his weapon level with the young mutant's back. Tyler stumbled along, his tail thrashing as he fought back both murderous fury and the pain throbbing from his ribs. In his peripheral vision he could see the other guards containing the rest of the workers. Among them, Benj and Leo stared after him with fear and frustration, unable to follow. He tried to convey that he would be fine, but he doubted the message would go through.

Tyler and Jesse were herded through the dirt roads, one guard leading and the other keeping his weapon pointed between their shoulder blades.

"Where are they taking us?" Jesse whispered, quietly enough to keep the guards from hearing.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Tyler muttered back. He didn't know what was going on, out of nowhere as it was, and he couldn't say there was much they could do about it.

They were marched to the community's perimeter, and outside the gates. They were confused, until the saw an idling black car waiting ahead. For a long time all Tyler or Jesse had seen were dirty and rusted trucks and Jeeps used by the guards around camp, so the pristine cleanliness of the black vehicle seemed alien.

The guards halted them. The man in the rear hit a small remote attached to his sleeve, and the lights on the collars around their necks turned on. Their powers, which were in use when they worked, had just been shut off.

"Get in," the talking guard growled, giving the two boys another shove. Tyler scowled, but knew better than to test the man further. He slid in through the open door first, Jesse tentatively following. Then the door slammed behind them.

It was pitch black in here. The dark windows weren't just tinted, they were blacked out. It was almost uncomfortably warm in here, but aside from that the car was nothing but comfort. Tyler's tail brushed against smooth leather seats, and soft flooring was beneath their feet.

Suddenly, a light in the ceiling switched on, causing them to blink. It lit them up, but the other portion of the back seat was left dim. A voice came from the shaded side.

"Welcome. I hope you find things comfortable."

The two mutants said nothing, merely staring warily at the space from which the voice had come. There was a slight creaking of shifting leather, before a form sidled partially into the light. The face was still hidden, but the legs and lower torso of a man in a well-tailored suit was revealed. Long, pale fingers clasped together as the mysterious man shifted again.

"Anything you'd like? Water? A soft drink maybe? I'd imagine they'd be a rather rare treat in these parts." Tyler could barely restrain the ugly comment on the tip of his tongue. Was the man totally oblivious, or just a sadist? This place was hell, and to just barely mention it in such an offhand way made him want to strangle the jackass.

The man moved on though, brushing an unseen speck of dust off his impeccable slacks. "Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering why you've been brought here?"

"Kinda," Tyler grunted shortly. Jesse stayed silent, but his eyes were fixed keenly on their faceless host.

"Well, it really isn't much," the man said. Tyler decided suddenly that he despised everything about the guy: his voice, his suit, even the way his fingers tapped away absently on his knee. "We're just trying to piece together what exactly happened a few weeks ago."

"What else is there to know? Some other mutants attacked and caused damage."

The man remained silent for a few seconds. "It's much like a police investigation; we just need to go over all of the details, all the eye witness accounts. What exactly happened to both of you that night?" the man asked conversationally as he reached over to what looked like a mini fridge and poured himself a stiff drink.

The boys hesitated, casting looks at one another. Jesse shrugged; what did they really have to lose? They weren't involved in anyway, and hadn't seen much really. The younger boy was the first to talk.

"There isn't much to tell. I woke up in my bunk hearing this huge scream and a crash. It was barely a minute later that I could smell the smoke from the fires. I got out of my bunk and went looking for my friends, to make sure they were safe. I never actually saw the intruders in all the chaos." Jesse omitted the part of the story where he, the Dysons, and Strobe had made a break for freedom that had ultimately failed. The man said nothing, shifting to face in Tyler's direction. The red-skinned mutant shrugged.

"Pretty much the same. Woke up to all hell breaking loose, went looking for my brothers, didn't see the invaders."

The only sound for about twenty seconds was the faint clinking of the ice in their interrogator's scotch glass. He swilled the liquid, as if in thought.

"Fairly simple stories. You're quite sure you didn't… I don't know, go anywhere else? See anything else?"

Despite the uneasiness in both their guts, both young men shook their heads. He either didn't know and was just fishing for information, or he already knew and he was playing with them. Was he searching for the mutants who had attempted to escape, so they could be punished?

The man sighed a bit. "Very well. I'll let you get back to your work."

The two slid toward the exit door, glad to be able to escape. The more time they spent in the mysterious man's company, the more unsettling he became. There was something about his genial manner and subtle menace that was sending shivers up their spines.

Just before Jesse cracked the door open, the man spoke once more. "One last thing. Those friends of yours, did you find them?"

"What?" Tyler asked, feeling the cold knot that had been forming in his stomach the past few minutes tighten.

"Your friends. Did you find them alright? Everyone accounted for?" The last sentence seemed heavier than the rest. Tyler repressed the gulp. His mind flicked to Kota, and what Benj had told him and Leo after his trip to see Bones.

He replied as steadily as he could, but it seemed like the unseen eyes watching them were boring right through his smooth skull, and into his brain, lighting up the lie under a glaring spotlight. "Two of our friends died," he rasped, trying to sound both angry and sorrowful.

A frozen moment passed before the man replied. "My condolences," he said in a cold, almost mocking voice, before waving a hand to indicate they could leave. The two spurred out the doors and back to their work stations with all haste.

The man settled back into his smooth seat, gulping down the last of his drink.

"And they were only the first," he grumbled. "Disgusting creatures." He set down the glass and began rifling in his suit pockets. He pulled out his cell and pressed one on speed dial.

It barely finished the first ring before it was picked up. The abrupt greeting didn't faze the man.

"Yes, Moore here. Well, I've seen enough for myself to know it's time something was done." He paused, listening. "Certainly it's a tedious job, talking to the things, but thoroughness is vital to upholding the safety of this country. I'll just gather whatever details I can; the more we know, the better we can prepare. By the way, how are the productions going?" He listened, and then smiled thinly.

"Excellent. They should be ready for deployment soon. But remember, it's only the first step. After all, the fisherman first has to disrupt the flow, cloud up the river, if he wants to catch the big fish. Very good. Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we my friend?" Moore grinned, his glasses flashing ghoulishly in the dim light as he ended the call.

"So the game begins," he chuckled good-naturedly as he settled back into the shadows.

* * *

_A/N: And the plot thickens, as the literate people say. Finally, I'm past the buildup of the first act and I can start getting into the more action oriented chapters of the second act. I think…_

_Also, I'd like to thank _**Arian Eripmav**_, _**Super garurumon**_, _**Stormplains**_, and _**dawnoftheceruleansky**_ for their reviews. Speaking of reviews…tsk, tsk, tsk, only four reviews last time? After you guys did so well in chapter nine? As I told my little brother not long ago, I'm a vengeful person. Tell ya what I'm gonna do. More reviews I get, faster I write and update. Less reviews, slower updates. Capiche? Seriously though, we're getting close to a hundred people. Let's push it to triple digits!_

_Oh, and if you see more than a few mistakes in this chapter, I just didn't feel like proofreading._


	12. Into the Wild

**X2: Survivors**

Fears and threats hold the heart captive for a long time, but even they, darkening dreams and thoughts as they do, fade a little with time. Even in a world built on the foundations of danger and fear, a lull, a sense of peace will calm even the most disquieted spirits. Calm them, but never put them off guard.

The winter months rolled past at a frustrating pace. The frigid fingers seemed to refuse to release their hold over the fractured country. For some it was but a passing thing that was hardly to be bothered with, but for those whose positions were a good deal direr, the cold, the snow, or the grey skies couldn't leave soon enough. Sickness came and went, chilled bones slowed the limbs, and a longing for spring was constantly on the mind.

And at long last, the wish was realized. Frigid downpours or cold and silent frosts transitioned into warmer rains, that instead of freezing the earth began to wake it up. Flowers began to bloom, the sun began to rise earlier and warmer, and life began to return. It was a touch that could be felt by those living in the harsh wild. And the world seemed almost at peace as spring overtook the land.

But of course, the only peace that could exist here was an illusion, a falsehood. The outsiders knew this all too well, and though they allowed themselves to drink in the beauty of the year's rebirth, they kept out wary eyes and ears.

However, when the peace was finally broken just as June was beginning, it didn't disappoint in its sudden ferocity. And its first targets tended to be those who weren't looking out for it.

* * *

"He should have been back by now," growled a scratchy, deep-throated voice. It belonged to one of two people huddled around a waning campfire, settled under the keeling frame of an old barn. The rest of the old farmyard was just as worn out as the big red structure, and in the gloom of the predawn hours where the reddening horizon wasn't quite bright enough to light the land, it looked downright depressing.

The one who'd spoken, a lean young man with dark hair, reached into the pocket of his large jacket. He withdrew a slim white cigarette and balanced it between his fingers, hesitating to light it. Instead, he rubbed frustrated at his hands, which were swathed in white hand wrap. The tips of his long fingers were calloused with small burn marks. At last, the man snapped his fingers. A spark leapt from between his fingertips and caught the end of the slim. He put it to his lips, the orange glow from the end lighting up a sharp face, one half marred by a large burn.

The second figure, sitting opposite the smoker and dwarfed in an overlarge coat, shifted. The person seemed weary, but was trying to keep awake despite their drowsiness.

"Why do you smoke? I didn't think you had the habit." The voice was decidedly female, and dulcet, always very soft.

The young man cast his eyes to his female companion. He grunted absently; he had the habit of falling into flirting around girls, but this one tended to let it pass over her head completely. Either she was utterly oblivious, or just didn't have any interests in his advances. Not like he really cared; it was just a sport to him anyhow, and one that was pointless to play on the girl.

"It keeps me warm. Smoke is my near constant companion; I don't need to inhale it any more than I need to."

The girl nodded, before shifting forwards. It seemed her coat wasn't doing enough to keep her warm. It may have been approaching summer, but long nights outdoors in the middle of nowhere even in the warmer months weren't exactly comfortable. A pair of dark skinned hands reached from the depths of the coat to warm themselves above the miniscule tongues of fire. The faint light, meanwhile, served to light her face. Just like her voice, it was soft; defined, but soft. The dark skin, full lips, and almond eyes gave her an essence of youth, more so than someone her age normally had. Even the blue color of her irises seemed gentle. The keenness in her gaze however, hinted at a more cunning nature than her girlish prettiness let on.

She warmed herself for a while, being quiet, until she spoke again. "Jonas is probably the most experienced living in the wild out of the three of us," she said, referring to her companion's earlier comment about their late third party. "If he's late, I'm sure he has a reason for it."

The young man grunted. "Like finally encountering something he _couldn't _outrun," he commented morbidly. The girl narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just because you always have one foot in the grave, don't think the rest of us have to feel the same," she warned.

The man lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. "It's a fact we all have to accept at some point, whether you like it or not. Even Joey can't outrun it forever," he said grimly.

"Sorry to disappoint you Ettein, but I'm still kicking here," growled an irritated voice. Jonas had returned. Though not the oldest of the three, he was certainly the tallest. His scarred face, buzzed haircut, and dull blue eyes that seemed permanently hardened gave him an appearance not like the girl's subtle aptitude, or Ettein's skulking, cloaked aura of experience and capability. Jonas was military-like, strong and unafraid to show it.

Jonas dropped a large bundle of wood from his hands, clunking dully against the weed choked ground. He also withdrew a pair of dead rabbits, strung together by a small length of rope hung over his shoulder.

"Rabbit a la mode," the tall boy grumbled as he dropped the deceased animals by the fire. "Now we just have to figure out how to make them edible."

The girl leaned forward, examining the creatures. "They seem fat enough. Maybe we can cook them in a stew, or at least cook the meat in water. There should be some old pots or something around here."

She straightened up from her sitting position, dusting off the seat and legs of her jeans. "I'll go get some water. I think there was an old pump somewhere down the lane." She craned her neck in that direction. The only question was whether or not it still worked. She grabbed a rusty old bucket from beside the barn wall and headed toward the yard's gate.

"You two get the fire up; I'll get the water and see if I can't find some herbs or something." She didn't receive a response from either of the two solitary young men, but she didn't doubt they would comply. Jonas Corran and Ettein Wolfe may not be the friendliest partners of convenience, but bickering and stubbornness never took precedence over food for them. Both needed to eat more than most people (or mutants), so they would follow along easily enough.

The girl trudged down the lane, her army boots crunching in the old gravel and weeds. The lane led along hills and dips, through a community of abandoned farms spaced widely. She decided to search for the herbs first; it would be easier to collect them now, rather than lugging a full bucket through the many farms while she searched for them, and then with the long walk back to the boys. She managed to find some parsley in one garden, along with an overgrown patch of garlic. Through several more she found some unripe radishes, but something was better than nothing, so she threw them in with the other stuff into the old packsack she carried.

Finally she reached the pump, about a mile and half's walk down the lane from her companions. Thankfully, when she pumped the handle the spigot poured out water. She filled the bucket as much as she could before starting back. By this time the sun was nearly over the distant hills.

The girl's first sign that something was amiss was a noise, like a large rushing wind coming in from out east. At first she dismissed it, but it only grew louder. She paused, very still. The noise seemed familiar, connected to some survival instinct, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

It wasn't until the massive shadow began to approach through the sky that it finally registered. Her eyes widened and her heart sped up.

Dropping the water with a crash, she took off down the lane. Her hopes for escaping unnoticed were already gone; the great shadow was too close. She just had to warn the boys.

"ETTEIN! JONAS!" she yelled as loud as she could, her feet pounding along the lane as fast as possible. She almost slipped into a ditch at some point, but managed to right herself and keep on running. She was only about a quarter of a mile from their campsite when the Sentinel arrived.

The girl gasped as the gigantic machine made its landing, shuddering the earth and causing her to collapse roughly. Her eyes grew even larger. This Sentinel was different. Worse.

The Sentinels she had been familiar with were still frighteningly big, the red and black armor and soulless machine eyes enough to give a mutant nightmares. This one was even more terror inducing. Gone was any trace of the red armor; the machine was all black now, sleek and deadly. The design had been slimmed too, as it wasn't quite so bulky anymore. Instead, it was streamlined and compact. It looked faster, less lumbering and more deadly. The red mechanic eyes were much the same, always searching and always merciless.

**"MUTANT SIGNATURES DETECTED." **The girl watched horrified as the metal monster turned its eyes to the farm yard.

She didn't really think. It was just an instinct, to protect her fellow mutants no matter what the personal cost. Concentrating hard, she felt her power build up, until a giant blast of light lit up along her whole body. She was nothing less than a screaming beacon, begging for the Sentinel's attention. Naturally, the machine made her its target.

The huge steps boomed as the machine approached, far more smoothly than the original models had ever been able to. The girl didn't wait as she took off.

A sound like a great humming grew behind her, and desperately she swung to the side, diving with every ounce of her speed. The road she had just been running along erupted from the ground, a giant fireball twisting up as the weapon blasted a giant crater into ground. The force of the shot caught up with her, tossing her through the air and landing her hard on her side.

"SHAZMA!" Two voices cried out, but they fell on deaf ears.

Shazma lay dazed on the grass. Pain was lancing up from her ribs and shoulder joint. Her arm must have been dislocated when she fell. She could feel stinging cuts and bruises from where loose earth and gravel had pelted her from the blast. She opened her eyes to blurriness and fire. She tried to stagger up, but her equilibrium was shot, and she stumbled again. Everything was confusion, but she forced herself to drag her body up and limp on. She knew the Sentinel would hunt her down until she was dead.

She didn't know which direction she was running, and didn't care. In her state, staggered from pain and dizziness, there was no way she could outpace the monolith. She could only hope that Jonas and Ettein wouldn't come after her. Strong as they were, the powers the three of them possessed weren't capable of bringing down a Sentinel. Even Jonas's incredible speed wouldn't guarantee his safety. Shazma felt that Jonas might come after her, having a militaristic ideal of leaving no one behind, but Ettein was more observant. He knew her nature, and the reality of what they would be facing. He would convince Jonas that there wouldn't be much either of them could do. Even Jonas would have trouble outpacing a missile or laser shot, and Ettein's fire would do little against the metal sheathing. Ettein would know she'd want them to run.

Shazma continued to rush along the empty fields. She thought there was a forest off in this direction. Trees wouldn't do much to stop a Sentinel, but maybe all of the obstruction would help the giant machine lose her signature. It was a miniscule hope, but better than nothing. She spurred herself faster, despite the white hot agony throbbing from her shoulder and useless right arm.

She had nearly reached the trees, when the huge black foot came crashing down in front of her. She fell back, and this time stayed down. It loomed right over her; there was no escape from this distance. Shazma panted in fear. She couldn't help but flash back to another very similar time when she had been in just such a situation. She had believed there was no hope that time either. But something had intervened that time, sparing her life to live another day. It was a fruitless hope to wish that it would happen again. Shazma refused to close her eyes; unlike the first time she was strong now. She would face eternity head on, down the barrel of the giant laser gun pointed at her head.

When the roar sounded, she believed it to be the sound of the red hot plasma rushing down the barrel and toward her, but it wasn't. The source, in fact, came from a charging blur that shot from the forest like a bullet, snarling as it came. She had barely noticed it before six silver lengths of sharp metal plunged into the Sentinel's leg.

The machine groaned, almost realistically, unable to respond before the blur was slashing into its other calf. Unfortunately, the Sentinel could adapt to this kind of thing, and lashed its leg out, sending the snarling creature flying. It hit the ground hard near where Shazma was staggering up.

It was a boy, Shazma realized, not much older than herself. Long brown hair falling in a tangled mess down to his bare shoulder blades whipped behind him. His face was scruffy and dirt-smudged, and the expression twisting it was absolutely vicious, wild and crazed. He roared again, sounding more animal than man, before throwing himself back at the robot.

Shazma watched, for the moment dumbstruck, as the feral young man pretended to leap once more for the Sentinel's shins. As the machine reached down to swat him away again, he feinted left, before leaping up and latching onto the mechanical hand. The metal lengths, great claws Shazma realized, plunged deep through the armor and into the inner circuitry. The man seemed irrational, just tearing and ripping away with little regard to his surroundings. He didn't see the other hand coming before it plucked him up and began crushing him in its grip. He howled again, this time in pain.

"STOP!" Shazma yelled, at last coming to full awareness. She lifted her hands and let loose another mighty blast of light. The surge of brightness blacked out all of the Sentinel's visual components, but it didn't do much to stop the monster.

Thankfully, the clawed mutant wasn't going down so easily. Invigorated by her attack it seemed, he managed to work his arms free, beginning to slash wildly at the hand that held it. The Sentinel didn't feel pain, but it seemed aware of what was happening to it. The arm suddenly lifted smoothly, before throwing the man to the ground as hard as it could. His body made a crater as it smashed to the ground.

Shazma felt her throat tighten. An impact like that not only would have killed him, but it would leave his broken body nigh unrecognizable. This was why she was shocked when he staggered out of the hole not moments later, wiping a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. The claws shot out again, bloodstains at the deadly tips, ready for more.

Shazma began to think as quickly as she could. Fighting like this they would never win; even if this boy was invincible, or could heal or whatever, it wouldn't matter in the end. They needed something to give them enough time to break and retreat, to get out of its detection range and disappear. An idea popped into her head. There was one aspect of her power that could work, if the Sentinel's armor wasn't too thick. She normally didn't use it around other people, but seeing as how the boy could withstand being slammed into the ground by a giant robot she believed he could endure a bad sunburn.

The young man launched himself once more toward the machine, and Shazma used the distraction. It would take a lot out of her, because she needed as much power as she could get on this one. Heat began to rise from her body, almost steaming, as an aura of light built up around her.

"Watch it!" she yelled to the clawed mutant. Despite his wildness, he seemed to register her voice and shot away from the machine. The moment he was clear from her power center, she released her hold on the power.

This blast wasn't so much composed of light, more shards of it mixed with extreme heat. It rushed out in a wave, concentrated solely on the Sentinel.

The robot let out what sounded like a metallic cry as the hot wave of heavily concentrated ultraviolet and infrared waves collided with it, crawling through the armor and biting into the circuitry, frying it. The red eyes flickered from brightness to dimness as it shuddered. It wasn't down, but it was damaged.

Shazma fell to her knees as she struggled to breathe. The blast of power had seemed to suck all air from her lungs, and all the strength from her limbs. Darkness was crawling at the edges of her vision. She was going to black out.

Suddenly, a wild scent reached her nose, before deep brown eyes peered into hers.

"G-get us…out…"

Strong arms caught Shazma as she fell over, before she felt them rushing away. Shadows fell over them as they plunged into the woods. Just before she fell unconscious she felt an extreme sense of déjà vu. Then her vision went black.

* * *

_Several weeks later_

Matt sat up on the roof of the Seekers home base, enjoying the sunlight after so long under overcast skies. Warmth had never been an issue for him; his body temperature was always hotter than average, so he hardly ever felt the cold air. Nevertheless, it was in his partly-animal nature to feel relief at the arrival of spring, and then summer.

The winter hadn't been particularly easy on the Seekers and their clan. The cold had been especially clinging through the year's early months. A lot of storms had blown through the region, keeping even the toughened Seekers indoors from their usual missions. It would have been pointless anyway, Donovan had said. Everyone in the wilderness would have burrowed in so to speak; stocked up, found their safe spots, and wouldn't come out until the spring. So instead they had tended to their own. A bout of flu had passed through their small community, and that had caused worry. In these conditions, even a simple cold could lead to deadly outcomes. Thankfully, despite some close calls, no one had died.

Food had been the bigger issue. The small town they called home had long since been picked clean of any edible foods, so the Seekers and some of the stronger non-members would have to venture out to other regions to find supplies. It was then that Matt really got to see the Seekers work for the first time, even if it wasn't necessarily what they typically did.

The team was close-knit, and a very well-functioning group. Even the two newer members Stacy and Chris seemed to act well among the team. When going out for supply hunts, it was always in organized patrols. He had participated in a few, feeling obligated as he was staying here, and he observed the steady cooperation, constant lookout for danger, and the flexibility between their members and destinations that allowed them to bring as much as they could back home.

Evangeline had surprised him most. He had up-close experience with her temper and aloofness, yet she had acted very well among her teammates. Her attitude didn't really change, but she knew where to channel her attention and energy. As one of the most powerful Seekers, she seemed to push herself to the extreme in all her tasks. She was nothing if not hardworking. She also seemed to have a weakness for the younger children they sheltered. He often found her among them, not exactly doting or playing, but simply talking, or brushing a little girl's messy hair. It confused him a bit, but nothing about Evangeline really made sense to him. It made her interesting but difficult to be around.

The other Seekers were easier to figure out. Donovan was the laid-back friendly guy that could get along with pretty much anyone. Unfortunately, a lot of responsibility had been laid on his shoulders, so more often than not he had to be more serious than he would have liked. Matt could always sense a weariness hanging around the Seekers' leader, whether he was smiling or frowning.

Nikolai was somewhat like Matt, reserved with a hidden aggression about him. His temper was often short, but one could tell he cared about his fellows very much. Gabriel was the jack-of-all-trades, sweet, funny, serious, flirting, intelligent, with his moments of idiocy. Chris was very quiet and reserved, but not in the typical way. Matt suspected some kind of handicap in the guy, and he didn't doubt the others suspected it as well. No one mentioned it though, so he let it be. Stacy was probably the one he associated with most casually; she was friendly enough, smart, and she had a tough spirit. The remainders, Courtney, Spring, Draco, Tyson, and Dominic were nice enough, but he never socialized with them much.

Kota still remained pretty separated. She didn't talk much, even when she did volunteer for the foraging patrols. Having been abused and enslaved as she had, he didn't blame her. The only reason Matt could function among others as well as he did was because being imprisoned hadn't been the first hardship of his life. He knew better than most how to slough it off and keep charging ahead.

Matt rolled his neck, feeling the pops. It was refreshing but he felt he needed a bit more. He felt the surge go through him as his body lengthened and changed. In the form of a giant wolf, he stretched languidly in the sunlight. He opened his jaws in a giant yawn, exposing deadly fangs. God it felt good.

Suddenly his eye caught sight of a familiar golden glint up in the bright sky, only a few wispy cirrus clouds interrupting the endless blue. He watched as the glint zipped about with an airy aimlessness, before dropping low enough for him to distinguish Evangeline more easily.

When Evangeline was on the ground she seemed to have an aggressive gracelessness about her. She stomped a bit when she walked, and her shoulders always seemed hunched, like she was waiting for someone to take a swing at her and she couldn't wait to hit them back. This fact did not hold true when she was in the air. She zoomed around and between the clouds like a bird before dropping low, twisting among the abandoned buildings of the town like a fish among ocean reefs. Matt watched as she swooped low, actually landed on the roof of one building, and then cartwheeled and leapt to the other end. She then leaped off again in a flip, twisted up just before she hit the pavement, and went soaring back up into the sky.

It was apparent she was enjoying herself, just reveling in her abilities and taking pleasure in the clear day just as he was. It was a rare moment of insight, if just for the fact that he now knew Evangeline _could _enjoy herself.

He watched her twirling aerial antics for a few minutes more, until she passed low enough to spot him watching on the roof.

At first Matt believed she would ignore him, but she suddenly detoured in a sudden downward arc and shot toward him. She pulled to a halt abruptly, hovering about five feet over the rooftop with her feet pointed down and her hands on her hips. It was a strange position, but oddly fitting for her.

She eyed him with an eyebrow quirked. Ever since the meeting with the Outcasts she hadn't been quite as flat-out unfriendly as she had been, more challenging and confrontational. Matt felt though that it was nothing personal about him, it was just how she acted. It was strange, but that was her. She was a surreal kind of person at best.

"Enjoying the sights?" she asked suddenly, a testing tone in her voice. The great wolf cocked his head before shifting back into a young man.

"Actually yes," he said neutrally. "I only just realized a little while ago how much I missed blue skies. It's been awhile since I've seen one."

She grunted, still hovering but now looking at the sky. "Just you wait. You just begin enjoying the warmth when BAM," she said with a snap of her fingers, "it's winter again. The summer months can never last long enough out here."

"I'll make sure to enjoy it as much as I can then," he said, settling back against an old vent shaft. "It's not so much the warmth as it is the feeling. Things are never quite so unpleasant when the sun's shining."

She didn't react, but he could sense her agreement. She finally touched down and sat on the roof's edge. They remained like that for a few minutes, not really paying attention to each other so much as the empty green landscape around. In the snowy winter it had appeared melancholy, but with the sound of birds above and a warm breeze in the grass, peace was more predominant.

"You like flying?" Matt asked Evangeline suddenly. She turned her head just enough for one of her eyes to make contact with his gaze. She shrugged.

"In the air you feel invincible. Like nothing could ever reach up from the diseased ground and touch you." She said this with a bored tone, but it held a lot of weight and truth in it.

Matt suddenly remembered a question that had come to mind months ago when he had first met the Seeker. The past few months had only increased his curiosity. "Why do you work in a team if you don't like…others?" he said, trying and failing to find a way to state it a bit more eloquently.

This time she did turn to face him, brushing her dark red braid over her shoulder. "Why ask?"

He shrugged. "Curiosity," he simply repeated the word he had used on her before. "It's a bit of a paradox situation isn't it?"

"Is this coming from how I treated you when we met?" The question was asked again with a bit of mocking challenge there. He could see the amusement sparking in her fiery eyes.

He smirked a bit. "If that's your code phrase for asking if I'm offended, no, I'm not. I'm grateful enough for the help you gave me not to care how you choose to act. But wouldn't existing on your own make more sense than being around people you dislike?"

"First off," she said, spinning about so her body completely faced him. "I don't _dislike _anyone. I just don't want to talk to anyone," she said as though it was obvious, ticking off the first point on her finger. "Secondly – "

She never finished the sentence. She just seemed to disappear. Her body was still there, facing him, but the life seemed to drop out of her eyes. Matt had seen this enough times in their journey together to tell what it meant. Her sight had activated, and truthfully, she was no longer here.

Evangeline experienced her 'sight' a good deal differently than the outside observer. Sometimes she could see it coming, sometimes she couldn't. This was one of those times. She had simply been talking (albeit unexpectedly) with the enigmatic wolf mutant, when suddenly it seemed like she dropped. Dropped right out of her body and down a long black shaft, the lights of her conscious reality falling away above her as if she had fallen through the open doors of an elevator chute.

She stopped. It wasn't hitting anything or drifting to a halt; she was simply falling one moment and the next she wasn't.

Evangeline peered around. The world at large was telling her something. Sometimes it was crystal clear, other times it wasn't, at least when it came to the message. Here, in this vision of the past, present, or future, it was always unfocused and blurred, like standing below the surface of a murky river flowing past her. Her movements were also slowed, like a fly trying to escape amber.

Dark shapes appeared before her. Some were obviously human, by loose definition, and some were not. Evangeline narrowed her eyes at the familiar towering shadows: Sentinels.

She watched as rank after rank of the deadly machines marched past her through the murk, coming from every direction. She saw the shadows of landscapes: plains, mountains, forests, and empty towns. The Sentinels entered them all, and from every hidden crevice poured human shapes, running for their lives from the shadows of doom. Then a sudden flash of blazing fire consumed everything before she opened her eyes to reality once more.

Matt was staring at her intensely, on the edge of his seat. She realized why when she found herself teetering backwards on the brink, ready to tumble twelve stories to the ground. She waved him off as she straightened herself up, holding her aching head.

She stood, staring into Matt's dark eyes. She curled her hands into fists and growled. "I hope you've been bracing," she said darkly. "Because I think the Outcasts got their wish. The storm's hit."

Matt blinked, his only sign of acknowledgement, but inside the bottom of his stomach dropped out. Nothing good could be coming their way.

He followed silently as Evangeline stood wordlessly and made her way back downstairs, and continued to follow all the way back down to the Nest common area. There he stopped, watching as she weaved her way through the crowd toward Donovan where he was playing hacky-sack with a skinny twelve-year-old. A quick grasp on his shoulder had the leader's attention, his head bowing immediately so Evangeline could mutter in his ear. Matt saw his glowing shoulders tense up and then drop as a grim expression overtook his friendly smile. For a moment Donovan's dark eyes flickered to Matt's, and the wolf boy could see the same feeling there that he felt himself. He whispered something back to Evangeline who nodded stiffly, before breaking off and exiting through another door. Donovan meanwhile approached Matt.

"We're calling a meeting for all the Seekers," Donovan said stoically as he came within earshot. "Go get Kota. I want both of you there as well."

* * *

"–what I saw. Sentinels, from every direction were hunting down mutants. Not just on their usual patrol routes; they were hunting in even the remotest places," Evangeline said as she finished up her explanation of her vision. "Also, I think the Sentinels have been upgraded again. They looked bigger, and it was shaped differently."

"Damn it," Nikolai muttered near the back, running a hand through his hair. The rest of the team was reacting to the news in similar ways. Gabriel was shifting about, flexing his hands in agitation; Stacy had wrapped her hands around her knees where she sat on the couch, her blue eyes wide, and everyone else was mumbling, dark looks on their faces. Months ago, Evangeline had told them all of her conversation with James and Kai. Donovan's anger at her interference took a backseat to the news of what might be coming now that the Outcasts had rattled the cages. Ever since, the Seekers had been on the watch, waiting for something to change. At last, it seemed, something had.

"What do we do?" Chris asked quietly. The room was filled with the sound of rustling scales as he twitched his great wings nervously.

"Everything we know how to do," Donovan said, grabbing all of their attention. He was in full leader mode now, standing tall and commanding. "Things are going to change, a lot for the worse, but this is what this team is for: to be there when things get worse. There are going to be a lot of mutants out there in danger. They won't have the warning we and the Outcasts have. At the very least we need to get the word out about what's coming."

"Hell, people might be getting axed off right now," Evangeline said. "I couldn't tell if the vision was of the present or future."

Donovan stared narrowly at Phoenix. She was a dear friend; they had fought side by side ever since the beginning and she was still here even when the other four of their original group followed their own missions. Nevertheless, Evangeline's lack of tact could often pose a problem. Thankfully everyone seemed too preoccupied with their current crisis to care about Phoenix's clumsy wording.

"So that's it? We just tell people about this?" Stacy sounded disapproving.

"No, we also try to make sure they find safety," Donovan corrected. "Also, I think it's best if we know where the threat's coming from. Sentinel factories tend to be remotely located."

Several heads shot up. "We're going to find the factories?" Kota asked, her eyes bright.

"If we can," their leader said. He gazed around at the entire group. "This mission is going to be much bigger than our usual M.O, and a lot longer. The team will need to be larger too." He peered around, choosing them in his head.

"I'll lead. Other members will be Phoenix, Tcelfer, Amplitude, Static, and Lotusfire." He then turned to Matt and Kota. When the names had been listed off Kota had seemed to droop. Her face now held a bit of a scowl. Matt as always was expressionless.

"I am willing to extend the team," Donovan said to them. "Both of you would be welcome assets on the mission."

Kota sat up, but tapped her tail on the couch, looking dubious. It seemed her eagerness was battling against her survival instincts. "What's the point though? How is this place any safer than the others?" she asked at last.

"More mutants around for one," Gabriel jumped in. "If anything came around we'd be a lot more able to take it down. Plus, we have mutants here that help cloak our position."

"We also chose this place because it's not where mutants would typically shelter; too cold and not enough food, so they think. Nowhere is safe these days, but some places are more so than others," Donovan finished. Kota grunted in compliance.

"Alright," she said shortly as the eager light returned to her narrow eyes. "If I get the chance to stretch my legs and kick Sentinel ass, count me in." Kota had other, more scheming reasons for joining the team, but she wasn't about to share them.

Matt remained silent, considering. He noticed Evangeline eyeing him curiously. When she caught his look, she smirked. The expression seemed to ask, _you game? _It was almost like she was daring him. Oddly playful for someone so prickly, and not what he expected from her, despite their earlier semi-civil conversation. Whether or not this was some friendliness peeking through or she was testing him again, it didn't matter. Matt had his own sense of morals, and he wasn't disappointing them.

"I'll join," he affirmed quietly. His new teammates perked up at another two new members. Donovan seemed pleased as he sent them a grateful smile. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Evangeline giving him that same reservedly impressed look.

"Alright then," Donovan said with finality. "Start getting ready. We leave day after tomorrow, early."

"_Reeaally _freakin' early," Gabriel shuddered.

* * *

It was still dark outside two nights later when the chosen Seekers were woken. It was time to leave.

A foot nudged Nikolai out of sleep. He growled, swatting at the offending appendage, but he was rewarded with a clump of heavy fabric dropping on his head.

"Up and at 'em Sunshine," Gabriel hissed grouchily at his roommate as he scrambled into the standard underclothes that team members wore under their uniforms. Donovan, the third member of their cozy 'dorm' was already dressed and was rechecking his mission pack to make sure he had everything.

Nikolai growled again and slithered out from beneath the amassed pile of covers that was his bed. He stretched before beginning to pull on the thermal-like garments.

"Hey Don, what time is it?" Gabriel asked as he pulled his undershirt on. Donovan checked his watch, which was one of the few working time pieces in the colony.

"Almost five," he said.

"Yeckh," Gabriel said, but said nothing else as he swung his pack over his shoulder and left the room. His roommates followed promptly.

The building was silent, or at least quiet. An area couldn't exactly be called silent when it was filled with the sound of deep breaths and snoring from several hundred residents. The three young men descended to the ground level and into the kitchen. Only Matt was already up, sitting in a corner and working on a meal before they set off.

Over the next fifteen minutes the remainder of the mission team trickled in, beginning to prepare their own meager breakfasts.

"You know what I need," Stacy said drowsily. "Protein. And don't anybody say anything about beans. I've had enough beans in the last five years that I'd rather starve to death than eat more of them."

"Out in the wild we'll be able to hunt, so keep your fingers crossed," Nikolai said shortly.

The first to break away from the quiet breakfast was Evangeline, who unlike the others was already wearing her uniform. Whether the team was cooperative like that or out of simple coincidence, she was followed shortly by the rest down the stairs and toward the rooms where the uniforms and weapons were stored.

Everyone, aside from Phoenix, got into their uniforms first. Limb's uniform was fairly simple: black pants and running shoes, with a black SWAT-style sweater with the sleeves cut off, leaving his psionic arms exposed. Pale blue armor guarded his shoulders and legs.

Amplitude's uniform was a dark grey standard-like suit with navy armor on the shoulders, shins and thighs, as well as spikes running down his forearm from the elbow. Large X's decorated the torso, and grey goggles sat on his head.

Tcelfer wore a black uniform that resembled a business suit almost with the way it was cut. A reflective strip ran along the front of his uniform that almost looked like a tie to go with the suit, a moveable transport strategy for when he used his traveling powers through mirror-like surfaces. Black fingerless gloves with metallic wristbands covered his hands, and he wore a black knit hat.

Static's uniform was a combination of electric blue body and black boots and gloves. She also had a visor that could protect her eyes from the brightness of her own lightning blasts. Lotusfire wore flexible black pants that could conform to his strangely shaped legs and a Kevlar vest, with a long overcoat to cover his wings when they weren't in use. He had found a funny wide-brimmed hat during his stay and had grown attached to the thing. It was now part of his uniform.

Kota and Matt hadn't had the time to construct coordinated uniforms like their other teammates, but they had made do. Kota wore dark green army cargos, a white tank top, and long dark grey boots that reached her knees. She had added armor pads over the knees, elbows, and chest, and a black jacket over all. Matt had rather plain charcoal combination of armor, with dark blue accents here and there.

Once suited up, the team joined Phoenix in the armory where they chose their ideal weapons. Amplitude seized the giant axe Static and Lotusfire had seen him with at their first meeting, as well as a compactible crossbow-like device with thick, deadly-sharp bolts belted around his waist. Tcelfer, Limb, and Lotusfire grabbed a combination of guns and melee blades. Kota grabbed several as well before her eyes were caught by a pair of clawed gauntlets hanging on the wall. They went to join her arsenal. Static grabbed her belt full of needles and wires, and hesitated before grabbing a dagger and a stun gun. The thought of killing someone made her feel ill, but she knew it was best to be prepared.

Matt stared at the large selection. He absently grabbed a simple enough handgun and dagger, but still felt like he needed something else. He reached up and brought down a broad sword, a katana it looked like, but longer than it should have been.

"So you're the archaic type too?" He turned to see Evangeline nearby. She was eyeing his sword. "I thought I was the only one who went for that kind of thing. Everyone else just loves the guns," she grunted as she belted her bronze daggers on shoulder straps and fixed a sleek black bow and a quiver over her back. She reached into the shelves again and this time withdrew a pair of bronze short swords: thin, but wickedly sharp.

Matt shrugged. "I was taught to use a sword. Might as well put that to use somehow."

"Everyone ready?" Limb asked seriously from the doorway. The team nodded; they were suited up, packed, and armed. They were more than ready to go.

The group departed just as a hint of morning was coming over the horizon behind them. They had two cars and two motorcycles. Matt rode a black motorbike that the Seekers kept stored in their garage, while Kota rode with Static on her bike. Limb, Tcelfer, Lotusfire, and Amplitude rode in Limb's black car. Phoenix kept pace high in the air.

Kota threw her head back into the whipping wind, keeping herself firmly in place behind Static on the bike. How good the wind felt in her face. She had been locked up so long as a slave, and then cooped up within the Seekers hideout for those long winter months. Being out and free again felt wonderful. Static too seemed to enjoy being out again. Without warning, she sped the bike up, causing Kota to cling even tighter to Static's shoulders. The two girls roared ahead of the black car, zooming down the long stretch of empty, silent road. Kota whooped a bit, the dog-like delight of the wind in her face making her giddy. Static laughed, taking one hand off of the handle bars and sticking it into the air, letting the whipping air whistle through her fingers.

Suddenly, there was a deep thrum, and they were bypassed by the boys' car.

"Are they trying to drag race us?" Static questioned disbelievingly.

"If so, let's kick their asses," Kota growled excitedly, feeling the sudden thrill of a chase at hand.

Static didn't need to be told twice. She twisted the handlebars, pumping more juice into the engine. The bike snarled and shot forward. They drew level with the car, Kota throwing them the finger. Static gave them a bit more of a show. Pushing up on the throttle again, she tilted the bike back into a wheelie. It lasted only a few seconds, but it got the message across as they pulled ahead again. The car seemed to accept the challenge. Matt couldn't help but laugh quietly as the two vehicles ahead of him rocketed down the road. He wasn't going to join in, but he was curious to see who would win. He revved his own engine, pushing the motorcycle faster to catch up to his new teammates. The glint of gold far above showed the Phoenix was keeping pace as well.

The game of road play continued far down the road, the sun lighting up the sky with a bright morning as it did. For hours they traveled, their game flipping on and off the further they traveled down the empty highway. It was turning into another warm day, the sun bright with no clouds to be seen as of yet. High in the air, Phoenix couldn't help but breathe deep. There was nothing more glorious than soaring far above the earth on a clear day. For miles around she could see the land, green and endless. It was empty still, but there was something about seeing it like this that was both tragic and beautiful. The earth was returned to nature out here, and it was more majestic than anything created by man.

Evangeline peered down. At last, the car was drawing level with the bike below, the tiny image of Limb leaning out of the window. They must be nearing their first 'checkpoint.'

That was indeed the case. Limb stuck his head out the window to shout to the motorbike drivers.

"Pull off at the next exit. We're stopping there." He pointed ahead to where the shadows of buildings were beginning to appear.

The three vehicles swooped down the off-ramp and into the town. It was a typical off freeway kind of stop: fast food restaurants, motels, stores, banks, and offices. All of these were abandoned, everything quiet. Static shivered a bit; she had forgotten a bit the eeriness of the emptiness.

The two bikes followed the black car to an old Les Schwab. Limb wrenched open the garage doors and motioned the vehicles through.

The inside was just as dusty and deserted as the outside. The group huddled aimlessly as the doors banged shut behind them, leaving the light to leak through the narrow windows that were set high up near the ceiling.

"We might as well have lunch here," Amplitude said. Everyone agreed and sat down to help themselves to the first of their rations in their packs.

"So where do we go from here?" Static asked a few minutes later, biting again into her sandwich. Her nose scrunched up at the taste; oh joy, back to these things again.

Tcelfer stood up, dusting off his pants. "Well, since Amp and I are the first finished, we'll go through first. Come on Nikki."

"I'll wait 'till we're through then I'll kill you. Say you got mauled by coyotes or something," the tall Russian muttered darkly upon hearing the hated nickname. Tcelfer feigned horror before pushing his tall friend to the opposite side of the room. The blonde mutant turned around and waved.

"I'll be back in a few hours kids, play nice," he said, and before the new members had a chance to ask what he meant, Tcelfer grabbed Amp by the arm and the both of them melted into a grimy mirror leaning against the corner walls.

"Where the hell are they going?" Kota asked, staring warily at the unmoving mirror.

"The first gathering spot," Limb said. He had expected their new members' looks of confusion, so he held a hand up. "We were in a bit of a rush to get this mission rolling, so I never really got the opportunity to explain exactly what we do out here."

"I thought you found mutants and got them to safety," Static said, her eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

"We do, but we can't exactly just wander around and peer into every abandoned house looking for them," Limb said.

"I thought you already knew how to find them," Matt said, tilting his head a bit in Evangeline's direction, where she sat cross-legged on a work bench and sharpened her daggers. She rolled her eyes and went back to her job, muttering under her breath. "Oh yeah, I'm just the radar system. Sight beyond normal humans, but not enough to scan the whole damn country. Why don't you just stick an antenna in my head, tie me on a string and fly me around like a kite…"

Limb rolled his eyes and ignored her, though he smirked in amusement. He paused, as if wondering how to best begin explaining. He leaned forward, taking on a teaching demeanor. "So, how much do you guys know about…well, out here? How things function?"

"Not to play Missy Sob Story, but I didn't live out here," Kota said dryly. Matt said nothing, and Lotusfire shrugged at a loss. He had always been alone and didn't know much about things beyond his own space. Static too confirmed that she didn't know much.

"I lived by myself, had my own routine. There were a few other mutants settled near me, but they stayed solitary just like I did," she said.

Limb nodded, looking for another way to explain. "Well, there are basically four types of ways mutants live out here. There are the loners, like Static and Lotusfire were. There are the small groups; sometimes families of mutants, or partners of convenience, people that can help you survive but you have no particular attachment to. The third are general colonies. As far as I know we're the only one: a colony that allows any and all mutants shelter without conditions."

"And I'm guessing the fourth category doesn't work that way," Matt said.

Limb shook his head. "The fourth are conditional colonies. The Outcasts are prime examples. You can only stay if you intend to fight for their cause. There are other kinds of a less…radical nature, I guess you could say. They can usually admit mutants if they have something to offer the group, like hunting skills or a strong power for protection. Those usually have limits though, won't take over a hundred people or something. The way we find mutants is through the bigger groups; they know their territories and can tell if any lone mutants are wandering nearby. The big colonies tend to be more established, so that's why we search more for loners, small groups, most importantly those with young kids or those who can't take care of themselves in the wild. Occasionally someone from the large groups will break off and join us, if they can't hold their position in the colony anymore, or just for easier living."

"So you just go up and ask groups where mutants are?" Lotusfire asked.

Limb snorted. "It's never that easy. It's survival of the fittest out here; nothing comes without a price. That's where gathering comes in. Money isn't worth a damn out here anymore, so we've fallen back on the good old barter system of the caveman days. Food's probably the biggest one, but things like oil, tools, weapons, clothes and blankets and things like that are what we use to trade back and forth. The Seekers are all pretty good at hunting and our cooperation allows us to go a lot farther out of our safety zone, so we don't trade all that much. Other groups that aren't as capable rely on it a lot more. They trade information for their needs."

"So we've set up our system. Tcelfer can create recognizable pathways for himself through reflective surfaces, so when he's on a mission he can transport us to specific places where we can gather things or trade with other colonies. If he's not along we bring Jump instead, since he's able to teleport more than one person at a time," Limb said as he seemed to wrap up his explanation. "That's where Tcelfer and Amplitude have gone, to the first gathering checkpoint. Unfortunately, he can only take one person through at a time and long distance jumps tire him out a lot. It'll take him most of the day to get us all through to the gathering spot."

It did indeed take Tcelfer nearly three hours to return. He took Matt through the mirror path next, leaving the others to kill time until his next return trip. The remaining five wandered the town, collecting several things Limb said would be useful to have. The sun traveled slowly across the sky, and throughout the day Tcelfer returned to take them through one at a time. Static followed Matt, and then Lotusfire, and then Kota. Only Phoenix and Limb remained as the sun began to go down. Both had visited this town multiple times before and felt no need to explore. They simply sat quietly in the Les Schwab as the sky darkened.

Limb suddenly spoke after nearly an hour of silence. "You've been chatty lately."

"What?" Evangeline said with a scoff, staring at him with her intense eyes. With the dying light leaking through the windows and glancing off her face, her flame-colored eyes appeared to glow a little.

"Matt," Limb clarified. "This is probably the most I've ever seen you talk to someone, sans insulting, that you haven't known for years."

Evangeline huffed. "You know why I don't talk to people. I socialize as much as I need to. Beyond that, what's the point?"

"It might help clear up your disposition," he smiled a bit. She glared and the smile fell as his face became serious. "I'm not kidding. I can understand why you aren't the biggest social bug in the colony but don't you think you're too…" He trailed off, unsure what to say. Limb felt the irony of the situation; he could lead with a clear mind in all kinds of life or death situations, but when it came to talking serious with a close friend he found himself tongue-tied like a thirteen-year-old asking out his first crush.

Evangeline sighed. "Donovan, I've always seen you as a big brother but I'm eighteen now, not thirteen and awkward with parent problems. If I need to talk with anybody, I'll talk to you; that's enough."

Limb debated continuing the conversation, but decided against it. He cared, really he did, but Evangeline's mentality seemed beyond convincing change in, one way or another. He sighed. Why did the world feel the need to pull everyone he cared for away from him? He had not seen his father for years; he had left long before his mutation had manifested. The fracturing of America had driven him away from his home and his human mother in order to protect her. James, Kai, Raquelle, and Rin had all followed their own paths. Even Evangeline seemed to be drifting away, mentally if not physically. He felt a familiar invisible weight resettling on his shoulders, one that made him feel many times his age. How could someone of twenty feel so old, so weary? Limb had long since ceased to expect an answer to that.

For the rest of the waiting period the two didn't speak, occupying themselves with their own activities. Evangeline returned to sharpening her blades while Limb practiced shaping his psionic arms. His mutation had manifested in that particular form, but he had found over time that he could change the structure of the psionic energy, shaping it into blades or shields. At the moment it was difficult, but he was growing steadily better at reshaping them with practice. Both tasks kept the two senior Seekers preoccupied, and their thoughts clear of their earlier conversation.

Tcelfer returned at around half past nine. There was a brief debate on who would stay behind alone, but Evangeline won out, saying it was best to leave her behind because she had a much better chance of escaping or fighting back if something bad happened. Tcelfer grasped his leader by the shoulder and guided them through the mirror.

Going through the mirror, as a side-along passenger at least, felt like sinking into a substance thick as honey but as cool as the depths of a deep lake. It wasn't very comfortable; it was hard to breath and a nightmare for the claustrophobic, because movement could only be perpetrated by Tcelfer in this mid-existence between the reflective gateways. Until they came out on the other side, Limb couldn't as much as twitch. Luckily he had experienced this many times before and had grown accustomed to it.

Limb was aware of crossing through the second 'gateway' of Tcelfer's unusual pathway when he saw light above him. It was wavering, dim silver light that streamed in pale rays through black surroundings. The two Seekers abruptly surged upward, before breaking the surface near the edge of a smooth lake. The pair splashed easily from the water, only their feet wet strangely enough.

It was not a large lake by any means, fairly round and shallow, set in a dip in the landscape that likely had collected additional rain water from some passing summer storm. The landscape itself was wide and endless, rolling green hills with sparse clumps of deciduous trees sprouting up from the tall grasses for miles around. Far off in the distance, lit by the rising silver moon, mountain peaks marched along the horizon.

Tcelfer and Limb trooped up the sloped ground, slipping a bit on the grass in their wet boots. Their destination was a small copse of willow trees that stood several hundred yards from the lake shore, their long feathery branches drifting in a cool breeze. Underneath the boughs the warm orange light of a fire flickered, signifying their camping sight.

"Good journey comrades?" Amplitude questioned as he poked at the fire, throwing snapping sparks into the air as the two young men arrived.

"Damn, I dunno how I'm going to make the last trip," Tcelfer panted as he collapsed onto a blanket spread near the trunk of one of the willows. "I've never had to take so many people through in a day." He seized a water bottle Lotusfire handed to him and gulped from it. He then rolled over on his blanket and went limp. Barely two minutes later faint snores could be heard coming from him.

"Give him about two hours before we wake him," Limb said as he finished setting up his own sleeping space around the fire.

"Is it safe? For Phoenix to be there by herself?" Static questioned. She wasn't overtly fond of the redhead, but she had a sense of loyalty to her team already that overrode any personal issues.

Limb smiled a bit. "She can take care of herself. Besides, she probably would have just dug her heels in and refused to go if I had argued with her anymore."

The campfire was quiet for a time. Amplitude sang a quiet song in Russian as he kept the fire bright and strong. It wasn't necessarily a soothing song, but it carried an uplifting quality.

"So we're gathering tomorrow?" Kota asked on quick clarification.

Limb nodded. "There are a lot of things we can collect out here: food, medicinal herbs, animal skins even. Trust me; tomorrow's going to be a full day. You know, I just remembered you and Matt never got to choose your codenames. Usually that happens right when you join the team, but we never did that."

"_Why have a codename?" _Matt had asked the question telepathically, as he was currently in his wolf form curled up near a protruding root limb on the opposite side of the fire. Static had fallen asleep in the minutes between now and Limb's arrival, and she was now collapsed against Matt's flank, breathing deeply through her nose. Lotusfire also had fallen asleep, curling up into the tightest ball he could manage on his blanket, his tail curled around his body and his wings spread over him like an extra blanket.

Limb shrugged one shouldered. "To be honest, a big part is just the cool factor. It's just good fun walking around with a second, epic name. Though it is smart not to be shouting out our real names in case they're ever picked up when we're in a fight. People could look into us, maybe find out about our powers and weaknesses. It's best just to play it safe in every department."

The giant wolf's head nodded in understanding, before lapsing into a thoughtful expression. At least, that's what Limb assumed. It wasn't easy reading the facial expressions of a canine.

Kota too considered, before offhandedly throwing out the first thing that came to mind. "Ballista I guess. I always thought it was a cool word."

Limb nodded, as they both waited for Matt to choose his.

_"Hexenwolf," _came the single word answer in both their minds after a few minutes. It seemed appropriate, given his shape shifting and telepathic abilities.

Time passed, and after the two hour deadline Limb nudged the drowsy Tcelfer awake. Tiredly but doggedly, the stocky boy gave a weary thumbs up before plodding down to the lake for his last trip. During the time between his journeys back and forth both Ballista and Hexenwolf fell to sleep as well. Limb though, stayed awake, waiting for the last of his team. It was near midnight when they arrived, Tcelfer collapsing immediately back into his bed and practically fainting dead away. Evangeline silently set up her spot and turned in immediately, not saying a word.

Limb stared out over the moonlit landscape. It was so beautiful, so serene. It was hard to believe at this moment that their world was so frightful, and even now was on the verge of growing worse. For all the ignorant outside observer would know, he and his team could just be a group of friends, camping out in the wild plains of South Dakota.

Limb sighed, settling back into his bedroll. They might face danger tomorrow, but at least they had one peaceful night under the stars.

* * *

_A/N: How about a nice gift on a Friday afternoon to those of you finishing up finals for the holiday season? So this one was pretty long, and kinda chatty. I apologize if this chapter seemed kinda slow, but at least you had the chunk of action at the beginning and some new character intros. Plus, character development has to come in somewhere. This is actually the first of a three part section of the story that shows the Seekers' mission. Don't worry; the other teams won't be completely nixed out, just not center stage. It's about time the Seekers started doing their thing._

_My thanks go out to _**Arian Eripmav**,** Muse of Storytelling**,** Rex123**,** Super garurumon**,** KA**,** dawnoftheceruleansky**,_and_** Stormplains **_for their reviews. They're what keep me motivated. Plus, who won't admit that they're basically crack for the writing spirit? We get a lot, we're prancing on clouds. We get few, we go into withdrawal. So please, leave a review and tell me what you thought._

**_Next Chapter:_**_ the Seekers continue on their mission. _


	13. Forage and Barter

**X2: Survivors**

_Several weeks previous…_

The smell of smoke awoke Shazma from her aching sleep. She was well familiar with sleeping on open ground, and from the feeling of old leaves tickling her and sticks poking into her back, she was under trees. Despite her bleariness, she easily recalled the occurrence previous to her unavoidable nap, and sat up immediately. Her spinning head and the stab of pain in her shoulder told her that was a bad idea. She gasped.

"Be careful. I set your arm back in place while you were out; figured you'd appreciate that," a voice said. Shazma pushed off the pain that was clouding her senses. After all, her companion was a good deal more interesting than her pain.

The two were in a forest clearing, a fire just like the one she had shared with her former duo of partners flickering between them. Deep brown eyes, those that she had seen before blacking out, stared at her. Shazma likewise examined the young man. He was tall, though crouched by the fire as he was she couldn't tell how much. His build was strong and lean, wiry and flexible like a wild cat. It seemed he was a bit more…gone to earth in his survival methods than she, Jonas, or Ettein were. His hair was an absolute tangled mess, leaf mulch and twigs caught in the dark brown lengths. Dirt and dried blood smudged his bare chest, and the soles of his bare feet were pretty much black. His sharp face was covered in dark stubble.

The staring contest continued for some minutes, beginning to grow tense. Shazma shifted, brushing her long black hair behind her ear. The normally neat braid she wore it in was now almost as wild and tangled as the young man's after their fight for survival. She lowered her eyes.

Then the keen brown-eyed gaze broke and the young man smiled comfortingly. Compared to the vicious expression he had worn previously, it was surprisingly gentle. He slowly lifted a dirt smudged hand and held it across the fire.

"I think it's way past time I introduced myself properly; yesterday's meeting wasn't exactly what I would call ideal. Casey Williams," he said in a friendly voice with a hint of the South in it. Even as he looked every bit the Wild Man of Borneo, he was nothing but a perfect gentleman. Shazma took his hand with her good one and shook it.

"Shazma Iqbal, and about our earlier meeting, there is no better way to introduce yourself to someone than by saving them," she said, smiling back at him as she flexed her shoulder a bit, wincing as she did. "I owe you one."

Casey grinned a little wider. "No need. It's just nice to talk to someone friendly again."

"Loner?" Shazma questioned as she watched Casey place what looked like a few wood mice on a stick over the fire. Mice were a little out there compared to what she normally ate, but she knew not to be picky, no matter how unusual a meal was.

Casey nodded in answer to her question. "Only for about six months though," he clarified, sounding a bit sorrowful. Shazma hesitated to ask; more than likely whoever was his former companion was dead. He caught the restrained look of pity in her eyes.

"I don't know if he's dead, but I haven't seen him since we… I don't know. He was a good friend, like a brother. I hope he made it out okay." Casey fell silent.

"That's all we can do really," Shazma said, her voice sympathetic, "hope for the best for them. I left my partners behind, luring that Sentinel away. They're strong, so I trust them to be alright without me, if they don't kill each other first," she said with a smirk.

Casey gave her a grateful smile, before returning to the mice. He obviously still felt a little bit guilty about not knowing the whereabouts of his friend, but dwelling on the maybes were always last priority in survival. He seemed to know this, and pushed aside the worry. Shazma sat back, looking around them. They were on the edge of a forest belt, just barely within the trees. Beyond them lay more deserted land, with buildings off in the distance; no doubt another empty town.

She pondered the situation at hand. They had escaped the Sentinel, but that didn't mean their troubles were over. She wasn't oblivious to the world around her; an upgraded model of Sentinel couldn't mean anything good. It could be written off as merely improving upon the machines to keep up the status quo, but Shazma and her two partners had been nowhere near a patrol circuit. The nearest big city was well over a hundred miles off. There shouldn't have been any reason for the Sentinel to be out that far. The chance that the machine went rogue was ridiculously slim, so she could only assume that something had happened, and that something had triggered events of the dangerous nature. Shazma narrowed her eyes. It was time to get answers, as soon as possible. She looked up at Casey.

"Were you headed anywhere particular?" she asked him, catching him off guard with her abruptness.

"Uh, no, not really," he said unsurely, not sure where she was going with this.

Shazma stood suddenly, limping just a little. "That Sentinel was a bad omen. We need to find out what's going on, before we get into more trouble that we won't be able to get out of."

"A-Alright." Casey seemed off-kilter but he adapted quickly as he rose to his feet. "How will we do that?" he asked.

Shazma peered outward into the wide, dangerous world. "I know some people, people that might be able to tell us what's going on. I'm not totally sure where they are right now, but I should be able to figure it out. Get ready for a long journey."

"That's one thing I don't mind." He grinned toothily as he drew level with her. She nodded, before casting her eyes up and down his form. Her lips pouted a bit.

"First though, our primary quest should be finding you a shirt, and shoes."

Casey glanced down, a bit of red coming to his cheeks. "After all these months I've started to forget all about that."

"Wait, months?" Shazma goggled at him. "How long exactly have you been walking around like that?"

"Six months," he said neutrally.

Shazma just stared at him, before seizing him by the elbow and pulling him along. "Yeah, definitely need to get you a shirt. My pity meter was already high, now you've sent it into overdrive," she mock-growled at him. Casey could only smile helplessly.

* * *

Ballista twitched fitfully in her sleep. It wasn't a nightmare that tortured her, but rather a horrifying sense that she was running out of time, that there was a closing gap of opportunity that she just couldn't seize. That if she didn't act soon, she was going to lose…

A brief nudge set her jolting up into a sitting position, her face shifting as she snarled at the offender. Static jumped back, raising her hands in apology.

"Sorry! You just seemed like you were having a nightmare or something. I figured you'd appreciate the wakeup."

Ballista's face changed back to its human form, and her tense shoulders relaxed. The feeling, while not as intense as before, still lingered.

"Thanks," she said groggily before looking around the camp circle. Everyone was still asleep, bar Static and herself, as it wasn't quite morning yet.

The wolf girl huffed out a breath before giving herself a shake. It was pretty chilly this early out on the plains. She stood and stretched.

"I'm going down to the lake," she said briefly as she began to exit the circle of willow trees.

"I'll come," Static said, jogging a bit to catch up. "A good splash of cold water in the face will do wonders for waking me up."

Kota shot a quick glance at the autokinetic. She reminded her a bit of Juke, only Static seemed to have an inner strength that Ali hadn't had. Maybe it was because of their different experiences, or maybe it was a fact that Static was just the stronger person. Kota couldn't tell which was true. Nevertheless, it brought back the somewhat promise she had made to herself and to Lindi to somehow help her friends back in Nebraska.

It was a large reason she had joined the Seekers in the first place: a half-baked plan to gain favor and then somehow convince the team to help her. Looking back, Kota couldn't say what she had been thinking. There was no guarantee she could get the Seekers to agree to help. They seemed like the type that would, but how could they help anyway? The Outcasts had broken into the city with rampant destruction and confusion, and even then they concentrated more on the experimental mutants rather than the slaves in the districts. Thinking about it, Kota realized how hard it would be to actually get mutants out of the slave camps without sacrificing many lives in the process. It was maddening how insignificant she felt. Maybe this was why she had never thought much of herself in the heroic department; she could fend for herself fine, but the moment she was responsible for someone else she was slammed into the metaphorical brick wall.

"What's the matter?" Ballista twisted her head to Static as she spoke. The other girl must have noticed her frustration.

"_Damn it. I hoped she was less perceptive than that." _Ballista thought. "Just thinking," she replied shortly.

"Your nightmare?" Static asked. Her expression was understanding; she knew the experience well.

Ballista shook her head. "Didn't have a nightmare. There's just something that's been bothering me that I don't really want to talk about." Ballista disliked showing weakness, and she wasn't quite ready to reveal her thoughts yet.

Thankfully Static didn't pry further, and their trip to the lake edge was silent. Both girls proceeded to splash water on their faces, huffing and gasping at the cold shock.

"Ballista! Static!" They turned to see Tcelfer waving at them from the top of the slope. They loped up to join him and followed back to the camp. Everyone else was awake at this point.

Limb noticed Tcelfer arriving with the two girls. Good, now they could really begin. He could feel the air growing warmer as the sun rose once again. Despite the cool night, it looked like today was going to be a hot one.

"Today we'll be hunting. Three teams, three jobs. Tcelfer, Amp, and Static are fishing. There's a river about four miles out southeast which should be a good place to start. Hexenwolf and Ballista, you're with me on game hunting detail. Two wolves should be perfect for this kind of job. And Lotusfire, you're with Phoenix on sky game. Everyone be back here by the time the sun is touching the tops of those hills," Limb commanded, pointing to the west at a line of steep slopes.

"Got it," Amp said first as he swept up his pack. Static and Tcelfer followed suit as the trio set off in the direction of the river. Limb, Hexenwolf, and Ballista moved off in the opposite direction, leaving Phoenix and Lotusfire still standing in the copse.

"Come on," Phoenix said, jerking her head as she prepared to launch into the sky. She only made it to the tops of the willows before she realized the dragon boy wasn't following. "Let's move it Scales, we don't have all day," she called down frustrated to Lotusfire, who was still standing on the ground. She dropped lower toward him. It was only then she realized that his expression was ashamed.

"I…I can't," he muttered quietly.

"What, you can't fly?" Phoenix asked disbelievingly.

"I can fly. I've just never been up so high." Lotusfire's voice was so small Phoenix could barely hear him. He sounded like a scared little boy.

Chris waited for Phoenix's harsh rebuke, but he couldn't deny he was afraid. The highest he had ever flown was a few hundred feet, no higher than a tall tree really. He had seen the heights at which Phoenix had soared, and frankly the thought of it was terrifying.

Phoenix paused. "You've never flown high? Like, cloud level high?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Lotusfire shook his head. "Could never make it up there. I always thought I wouldn't know how to fly up that high, and I would fall."

There was a long pause as Phoenix processed it. Lotusfire kept his head down, waiting for anger or contempt. Instead, he got a puff of breath and Phoenix's fist knocking lightly on his skull.

"Well, I'm not doing all the bird hunting myself, so I guess you'd better learn now. Come on," she said, rising back into the air. She waited.

"But…" Lotusfire wasn't totally sure what to say, caught between fear and confusion as he was.

"You really think I couldn't catch you if you did fall?" she asked with her eyebrows raised.

Lotusfire hesitated, before raising his large black wings and pushing off the ground.

"Good, now just follow me and don't look down," Phoenix instructed firmly, before rising up quickly, but not so fast Lotusfire couldn't keep up.

The dragon teen gulped as they climbed higher, but Phoenix stopped only a few hundred feet up, not much higher than he usually went.

"Alright, I don't have wings so I'm not the best teacher, but I know what it's like to learn to fly," she said. "You're scared because the human part of your brain is still yapping in your head, telling you it isn't safe. But you're a mutant with wings; you were born to fly. You just have to shut up that half of your brain that's saying you can't do it and just go with your instincts." With that, Phoenix pointed down commandingly, telling him to look down. He did, beholding the empty space between him and the ground.

"That space never changes," Phoenix declared. "Whether you're two feet off the ground or two thousand, it's the same. The ground has just as many dangers as the air, and if you can survive on one you can do the same in the other. Follow."

They continued to rise until that had doubled their height. Lotusfire could feel the fear, but he concentrated on Phoenix's instructions and pushed that fear away.

"Come on," the girl said, angling so she was horizontal. The two glided high above the ground, moving eastward.

"Now you fly with your wings and physical strength. I fly with concentration of my mind. Both have their drawbacks: you can get tired and I can't concentrate on keeping myself in the air all the time. That's why you use the air to your advantage. Find large wind streams to glide in, updrafts to carry you higher without using up your strength. Take note of your environment just like you would on the ground. Avoid down gusts that might knock you lower, keep out of storm clouds if possible, avoid riding one wind gust going one direction, then falling into one that's blowing strong the opposite way. Most importantly though, trust your instincts. If you get knocked flying, they can save you when your mind goes blank." Phoenix spoke direct and quick, laying out every basic she knew on flying, adding what she thought would help him with the addition of his wings. And all the time she instructed, she was unknowingly leading them higher into the air. Lotusfire didn't take notice as he watched her and concentrated forward.

"Okay, look down." Lotusfire followed the order and very nearly squawked. They were over two thousand feet up now, riding high among gigantic cumulus clouds.

"Notice anything?" The dragon boy turned anxiously to Phoenix, who had a mischievous look on her face.

"W-What?" he stuttered.

Phoenix gestured around smugly. "You're still in the air," she said. "Now let's get to the fun stuff. Try and keep up."

Lotusfire was hardly able to react when Phoenix suddenly swooped off, zooming through the air like a comet. He frantically flapped his wings to catch up.

Phoenix shot him a look as he struggled towards her. She turned about, shaking her finger in mock disapproval. Instead of speaking, she mimicked his desperate wing-thrashing. She then stopped the flapping and held her arms out straight, signaling him to hold his wings out, straight and still. With a nervous glance down, he did so.

He didn't plunge to the ground. Instead, the wind caught below his membranous wings and swept him forward through the sky smoothly behind his teacher. Lotusfire suddenly felt a thrill. This was amazing! He had never known flight like this before, flight that brought such raw joy. Phoenix nodded in approval as she banked to the left, soaring towards a big cumulus. Lotusfire followed.

The two dove and wove between the puffy towers, sometimes darting through the fog or weaving around it. Phoenix taught him to bank, to pull up, to stay in one place, to ride the winds like currents in a river. Lotusfire let out a burst of flame from his mouth. He had never had this much fun!

"Alright then," Phoenix yelled over the wind. "Let's try another very important skill: diving."

She whipped the bow off her back and withdrew an arrow. In one swift motion she aimed at a large bird that was flying by and shot. It hit and the bird began to fall.

"Go get it."

Lotusfire looked up, panicked. "What?"

"Fold your wings in and go get it," she ordered. "You're losing it! Just ride the wind and follow your instincts!"

Before he really knew it, Lotusfire furled his wings in and pointed himself down. There was a brief point in his arched position where he seemed to freeze, unmoving. Then he began to plunge.

Lotusfire felt the desperate urge to thrash wildly and climb back up, but he refused to give in. He followed Phoenix's orders and held onto his deadly dive. He shot down through the air like a harpoon, following the small body as it fell. The ground rushed toward him frighteningly fast. He wasn't going to make it!

Just before he pulled himself up, he seized onto the bird's body. Still the ground roared up to meet him.

"_Follow your instincts." _The teaching rang through his head, and with desperation he unfurled his wings and pulled up.

The wind yanked up on the membranes. Lotusfire, who had closed his eyes just before he believed he would hit the ground, slid them open. They shot wide as he watched the ground zoom past below him. He was soaring like a missile barely six feet off the ground, cutting through the air like an arrow.

He let out a loud whoop of triumph, flapping his wings a few more times to push himself even faster forward. A clump of trees approached, but he banked through them, barely missing the last trunk. But he didn't care; he had never flown so fast, so free. He just couldn't stop.

He followed the downward slope of a hill, passing over a river. Below he could see the figures of Static, Tcelfer, and Amp knee deep in the water. He roared, catching their attention.

"Yeah, go Big Guy!" Tcelfer yelled out his nickname, giving him a fist to the air as Amp waved. Static ran under him for a moment, jumping and laughing as he soared over. He let out a burst of fire, just to show off a bit as he climbed back into the air. After this, he was never coming down!"

Phoenix, who had been following behind just in case he hadn't pulled up in time, was a bit surprised herself. It seemed his instinct for flight was stronger than she thought. She let out an amused breath.

"Huh. Well that worked," she said to herself as she followed after Lotusfire, who was now looping in the air like an insane fish. She couldn't help but chuckle.

* * *

Amplitude laughed a bit as Lotusfire shot over them as gleeful as a puppy. He watched as a laughing Static ran under him for a moment before jogging to a stop as first Lotusfire and then Phoenix soared over them, arcing up and back into the clouds.

"I've never seen him have so much fun," Static smiled as she trotted back toward the two boys. She had grown to have a sisterly affection for Chris, and it was good to see him enjoying himself.

"Yeah, lucky ducks," chuckled Tcelfer as he continued with his work. "They get to skeet shoot up in the clouds while we get to splash around in the river. Not that I mind today; this should be really cool."

"So what were you going to have me do again?" Static asked as she sloshed toward them. The two boys were spooling out a long length of thin copper wire, and twisting into a flimsy net of sorts. She grabbed up her corner from where she'd dropped it and got back to weaving.

"Okay, so usually we have to catch fish the standard boring way, but Amp had this genius idea," Tcelfer said. "We can use some of the copper wire we have for trading and make a net. When we spread it over the stream you can channel your electricity through it, enough to either stun or kill the fish swimming through. We can do this a couple times and come in with a mother lode."

Static nodded. A sudden wicked little smile graced her face, before she let just a few small bolts of electricity rush through the wire. Amp and Tcelfer yelped in near unison, both dropping the net and rubbing their hands.

"Not funny Static," Amp scowled at her. She merely shrugged smugly as they picked up the net again. She made herself a bit of a game, seeing if she could catch them off guard and zap them before they could drop the net.

"Done," Amp finally declared proudly. The trio threw the makeshift net over the water, settling it dead in the center of the babbling current.

"Okay, now let's get the regular net." They dragged the second, heavier net out of the large tool pack Amp had carried with him. That too settled in the center of the stream, two lengths of rope anchored on the dry river bank.

"Now we wait," Tcelfer said as he settled back. The other two followed him, and they sat on the river bank, waiting for the fish to dismiss their presence and swim through the trap. After ten minutes, Tcelfer shushed them, picked up a loose wire end that trailed out of the water, and handed it to Static.

"Let her rip," he whispered, before moving farther up the bank with Amp. No sense in risking a shock.

Static took a firm hold of the wire and concentrated. It was harder than she had thought, the resistance of first the wire, and then the strong water flow pushing back against the electric current. With a determined burst of will power, she shoved the current through and into the entirety of the copper net. A bright flash from the water blinded her for a moment before it subsided. Almost immediately, Amp and Tcelfer jumped up and hauled the rope net out by the two free extensions. Multiple still fish bodies were cradled inside it.

"It worked!" Tcelfer said as he grabbed a dead carp and waved it around like a rightfully won blue ribbon. "We have made a breakthrough in the fine art of fishing, thanks to the lovely lady," he said, gesturing grandly to Static. She smirked, before beginning to pull the fish from the net.

"We'd better get to work on these so we can get the next batch," she said.

They both dropped down to help her, Amp commenting, "I wonder if our leader and the wolves are having as much luck."

* * *

The grasslands stretched for miles, green brown grass running uninterrupted to the distant mountains, with the exception of a few belts of trees.

A sudden thundering noise could be heard over the rolling landscape. The source was a herd of pronghorn antelope scampering fitfully over the grassy turf. This was no leisurely gallop; this was a flight of fear, of the hunted running from the hunter.

The hunter was a lean black wolf, unknown to these parts. If animals had much coherent thought the pronghorns might have wondered what this strange predator was doing here. But they couldn't so they didn't, merely fleeing from the snapping jaws of the pelting canine.

Ballista had never chased animals. Years ago the thought would have seemed absurd while she had her freedom, and the idea was beyond consideration in her captivity. But now, pounding over the grasslands in hot pursuit of the antelope things, she couldn't deny that it was fun. She lunged forward again, snarling at the poor young buck in the rear of the herd. It snorted in panic and then spurred on faster.

These things were fast, almost too fast for her to keep up. Thankfully, catching them wasn't her primary job. She made sure to drive them in the right direction so the wind was blowing at their backs. No sense in giving away their ace in the hole. She gave a toothy grin as they crested a short slope and she spotted a pile of boulders nestled in the grass some hundred yards away. She drove them a bit faster; almost there.

The first pronghorn had just passed the first boulder when a russet blur shot from the outcrop and knocked it to the ground. Hexenwolf, fully in wolf form, wasted no time on his already dead quarry. He whirled about and charged into the herd, lunging with open jaws for the largest male. At the same time, another figure leaped out of his hiding place in the tall grass. Limb, for not being an animal, was nearly as deadly a hunter as Hexenwolf. He seized a buck around the neck, grabbing tight to the small horns on its head, and bringing up his hunting knife. The buck fell to the ground, blood staining the white and tan fur on its throat as its killer moved on to the next of the panicked herd.

Ballista wasn't one to miss out on the action. With a giant leap she sailed through the air and landed on the back of a bewildered female. The she-wolf dug in her claws as the antelope began to buck wildly, trying to throw her off. The effort was in vain though, as Ballista bit hard into the back of its neck, ending its suffering swiftly.

The three hunters made quick work of the herd, keeping them boxed within a triangle formation. In the end, only a few managed to escape.

Limb wiped the blood from his knife. "You know, I like having you two around. Hunting's a lot less tedious." He peered to his right, toward where the sky was beginning to grow gold and pink. "We'd better head back now if we're going to collect all our other catches before time is up."

The two canines nodded in compliance, Hexenwolf beginning to heft several of the carcasses over his powerful shoulders. Limb managed to carry two females over his shoulders as well. Ballista remained free.

They backtracked in the direction of their campsite. On the way they had to pass through a thick belt of trees, composed of cottonwoods, elms, and thick undergrowth.

Limb knelt down, brushing aside several leaves to reveal the spring trap they had set earlier. It hadn't caught anything. They continued on to the second trap, which had snared a rabbit in its noose. The remainder of the traps had similar catches. Ballista collected them as they continued their return journey.

At last they reached the campsite. They were the first to arrive, dropping their prizes to the ground. Hexenwolf and Ballista returned to their human forms as Limb scanned the skies.

"Here come the fliers," he said, pointing upward. His two teammates looked up to see that there were indeed two specks shooting toward them, one gold and one black.

They had come close enough to be seen clearly when suddenly Lotusfire banked hard and shot off north, pursuing a small black shape. The watchers on the ground observed as he rose slowly above his quarry, and then abruptly dove down, snagging the hawk in his claws. They heard him give a proud crow before circling back toward them.

Phoenix landed first, swooping down head first before flipping around to land on her feet. Lotusfire was right behind, kicking up dust and rustling the willow branches in the wind created by his great wings. Both had multiple dead birds roped over their shoulders and around their hips. There was even a dead eagle held in the curve of Lotusfire's tail.

"Good hunting?" Limb asked.

"Ask him," Phoenix smirked, throwing a thumb at the jumpy dragon mutant behind her.

"Check it out! We caught so many birds it was getting hard to find any! At first it was kinda hard since I'd never flown like that before, but Phoenix is pretty good with flying lessons," Lotusfire proclaimed giddily. Limb shot her a look, half surprise and half a knowing smirk. She shrugged carelessly.

"Hell if I was going to do all the work by myself," she said, throwing her birds down to join their pile of prey.

"_Lord knows she'd probably keel over and die if anyone saw anything decent in her," _Limb thought as he rolled his eyes, letting it go. He thought he saw Static, Tcelfer, and Amp approaching.

They were indeed approaching, almost dragging a net loaded with semi-blackened fish.

"We didn't really consider the weight of the catch when we thought up the electric fishing concept," Tcelfer gasped as the trio managed to finally haul the large load into the clearing.

Limb surveyed everything, nodding in approval to his team. "This is more than I expected. There should be plenty for what we need, and maybe a little extra for a treat."

"Treat? In this reality?" Ballista asked melodramatically, an incredulous look on her face.

"You'll see what I mean," Limb assured her. "Tcelfer, how long will it take to make the trips?"

"Not much," he said. "By my usual standards it isn't that far. I should be able to get us all there within two hours."

"Good." Limb peered up at the sky. "We're all pretty tired. We can head out in the morning."

Several of them let out puffs of relief. Static made an about-face and wordlessly trudged down to the lake. She was sweaty and hot from the warm day, and a bit of cool water would hit the spot. It seemed her teammates were of a like mind because she was followed by the rest.

Bulky armor pieces and shoes were dropped as they waded into the water. Static splashed the water on her face, reveling in the relief it brought. She was rather unprepared though when she was suddenly swamped by a wave of water. She sputtered, shaking her soaking hair from her eyes and glaring at a waving Tcelfer.

"Bit of repayment for the thirteen times you shocked me and Nik earlier," he said smugly, flicking another spout of water toward her.

"Shit Gabriel, I hope you know what you started," Evangeline huffed, rolling her eyes at him from where she sat perched on the shore. She was the only one who hadn't entered the water, instead choosing to sit on dry land.

Tcelfer turned toward her. "What do you mean started? Started wha…" He was abruptly cut off as Static bull rushed him and tackled him into the deeper water. Despite his muscular build, Static's vengeful spirit and his unsteady balance in the slippery lake bed sent them both tumbling, kicking up a large splash that soaked a fuming Ballista.

"Goddammit, watch where you're going!" hissed the short-haired girl, slapping more water in the direction of the sopping, bellowing duo.

Evangeline groaned. "And so it begins," she said drily to herself as the inevitable splash war began in the lake shallows, interspersed with frustrated yells and much deranged cackling. Tcelfer, Static, and Amp she could understand, but she was a little surprised to see Limb and Hexenwolf joining in. Matt changed into his canine form and launched into the water, soaking everyone with his massive splash. The spurts of water were coming too close for her comfort, so she stood and dusted off her pants.

"Well, have fun with that," she said, turning on her heel and beginning back up the hill.

"Phoenix!" She turned exasperatedly toward Tcelfer's yell. He smiled devilishly and waved as she suddenly felt the ground drop out beneath her feet, plunging her briefly through the inter-world before she reemerged through the second of Tcelfer's reflective portals, this one stationed three feet above the lake surface. Her impact threw up another large wave of water. The others laughed loudly.

The merriment was abruptly cut short when a flickering head of fire emerged from the depths, eyes burning and the water evaporating around her in steaming clouds of ire.

"I think you went a little far," Static whispered to Tcelfer, who was pale as a sheet.

"Yeah, me too," he whimpered, before throwing himself to the side as a wave of steaming water came hurtling at him. The ensuing war lasted until the sun was well below the horizon, ending the second day of their mission.

* * *

Eight pairs of feet rustled through a layer of thick pine needles as the group trekked through the coniferous forest, the ground shrouded in morning mist.

"How much farther?" Lotusfire asked. His blue eyes were wide as he peered at their surroundings that were slowly becoming clearer as the daylight waxed overhead.

"Only about a mile more," Limb replied quietly from the front of the group. He shifted the large animal skin he had slung over his shoulders into a more comfortable position. Most of them carried something gathered from their foraging: draped over shoulders, backs, or tethered to belts and holsters. Only Amp was without game, instead carrying a large pack filled with non-edible trading items brought from home.

They once again had started their day a little before the sun, Tcelfer taking them one by one through the lake and to his second checkpoint. This one happened to be nestled amongst thick pine trees in a narrow valley, walls of towering rock rising up on either side. They had been walking for about an hour now, and were nearing their destination.

Suddenly Limb halted, and gestured forward with his glowing hand. "Right there," he said, pointing out.

The valley through which they had traveled had begun to widen in the last half hour of their hike, and it was at this point that it ended; at least that's what it seemed like. In truth, the valley walls veered outward north and southeast, swooping in huge arms to encircle a much larger valley. Hills, not quite mountains, trailed down toward the bottom of the massive bowl of land, dotted with multiple clumps of pines and evergreens.

However their destination was a good deal closer. Hugging fairly close to the southeastern range was a great rift in the land, perhaps opened by an earthquake in bygone years, or a sunken riverbed of an old river long gone dry. The ravine was staggered with boulders and clumps of brush sticking out between the cracks in the rocks. Limb waved them forward and they followed.

They reached the end of the ravine fairly quickly, but were forced to march to the other end because of the steepness of the descent on this side. Then they made their way down a thin path between the boulders, moving carefully with their large burdens. Phoenix wordlessly rose into the air, took some of the heavier loads, and soared down to the bottom. Lotusfire jumped to help, and soon their grounded teammates could complete the climb down unhindered.

Ballista leapt the last few boulders and landed with a crunch on the gravel below. She straightened and sniffed the air. Her ears nearly perked up when she smelled many different scents on the air down here. She cast a curious glance toward Limb who had also just reached the bottom. He nodded.

"The colony lives down here. One of the more strategically stationed ones too." He turned to the group as they fully assembled. "They know us here so our arrival shouldn't cause a problem, but people in these colonies are still wary of outsiders. Just try not to pick any fights and we should be good."

They moved down the ravine, which seemed deserted but for the canine members' assurance of the many scents down here. As they moved along though, sounds began to echo toward them. Sounds of life.

At last they rounded a slight bend in the towering walls of stone, and the new members had to stop in awe for a brief moment. Under the right wall of rock, there was a hollowed out space, several hundred feet burrowing in. Nestled beneath this overhang was a group of severely tilting buildings, similar to old ghost towns of the Wild West in their design. Alongside these few standing buildings were other odd little shelters: huts made of metal sheets, tarps, and wooden planks, almost anything that could hold up a reasonably sized frame. Among the hodgepodge and clutter of weird dwellings, life was teeming. People moved back and forth, some talking, some making cooking fires, others looking to gear up for hunting.

It was quite a sight, the perseverance of a race doomed to surviving in the wild, but nevertheless soldiering on despite their misfortune. Of course, the sight wasn't without its more sorrowful aspects. There were hardly any young children to be seen, only young adults around their ages. All of these residents had similar hard expressions, throwing the Seekers suspicious looks as they entered the colony grounds. People could be seen squabbling angrily over some prey or trinket or other, and in some places fights broke out. From several of the shanty huts painful coughing or gasping could be heard, but no one stopped to help.

Static peered around, unable to suppress the grip of sadness on her heart as she saw the too-lean frames of the residents, and the edgy way they regarded the Seekers and each other. She glanced up at the half of their team that had been here before. Their faces were blank, but she could see the frustration and similar sorrow in Limb's eyes. It hurt him too to see their race like this, but he was powerless to effect any great change.

As the group walked along they began to be accosted by crowds of mutants, each of them shouting, trying to haggle for some of the game the group brought with them. Limb merely ignored them, continuing to walk along. Several of the surrounding mutants tried to reach out and grab something, but they were swiftly smacked away warningly with the haft of Amp's battle axe.

"Relax; you will all get a chance at this soon. Now move along before I hit with feeling," Amp said calmly but commandingly. The crowd grumbled but steadily began to drift away.

"I thought we were here to trade?" Lotusfire questioned confusedly.

Amp grunted, widening his eyes in mock horror as he glanced at the dispersing mob. "In that crowd? They'd probably flash mob us and try to take everything we have. Desperation doesn't make for fair bargaining. Best bet is to get organized first," he said, before gesturing forwards.

Their destination within the community was one of the ghost town buildings, an old hotel by the look of it. One side appeared to be collapsing inward a bit, but was surprisingly intact for a structure so old.

Limb nudged through the doors and led them past the old stairway and toward what could be the dining area. The room, though old and shambled, was crowded with an assortment of table stand-ins, from actual old tables to empty crates. A few mutants were here, but the place was relatively free compared to the craziness outside.

Limb halted them before approaching the leaning bar.

"Elsa?" he called, peering toward the door leading to the kitchen.

A clatter from something in the back room was heard, as well as a curse, before a curvy young black woman around Donovan's age emerged. Her face was fixed in a scowl, but the moment she saw the group her eyes lit up.

"Well, look who's finally come to visit. I was beginning to think you'd finally kicked the bucket out there Limb," she said with a devious smile as she leaned against the bar. She beheld the group, waving amiably at them. "And it looks like you brought some goodies," she said, her smile growing.

"I thought that's why we came here in the first place," Donovan smiled in return, gesturing his team closer. Elsa pouted.

"And here I was thinking you came because you guys liked me. Anywho, why don't you guys bring the game back, then we can catch up." She disappeared into the back once more, followed shortly by those team members carrying hunting spoils.

The kitchen was surprisingly well-preserved, but the back wall had been knocked out, connected to a few of those lean-tos they had seen outside. She directed them to a storage space were they could place the game and then led them back.

"Your usual space upstairs is taken, but the parlor's empty if you want," Elsa said as they returned to the dining area.

"Sure," Limb said as Elsa gestured them towards the largest 'table' they had. The group settled in, the newer members a bit confused, but not showing it. The moment they were settled, Elsa leaned forward on the table and looked to the four newcomers, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"Never seen you four before. Elsa Nadeen," she said, extending her hand. Static was the one to take it, shaking firmly.

"Stacy Blackstone," she returned the greeting.

Elsa nodded. "So, what's your story?"

Stacy was taken a little off guard, but recovered quickly. "Not much of a story I guess. Left home to save my neck, lived as a loner for a while before the Seekers picked me up." Elsa smirked, seeming familiar with the group's job, before turning her greetings to all the newcomers in turn. She asked them all the same question, and they replied as much as they saw fit. Elsa didn't pry further even if their backstories were left vague, and it was a bit of a relief. Instead, she turned to the members she did know. She exchanged a pleasant greeting with Amp and bumped fists with Tcelfer.

"How's life Phoenix?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk at the redhead. Evangeline returned the expression, but it wasn't hostile.

"Same as always," she grunted, but they thought they could barely catch a hint of playfulness in her grumbling tone.

"Grumble, grumble to you too," Elsa said with an amused snort, before turning her attention to Limb. "I actually thought you would be swinging around sometime soon. Winter was waaay too long this year. You guys must have been raring to go."

Limb's face grew serious. "Yes and no. There was a… incident early in the year that got us going pretty fast. In fact, the biggest reason we came here was to warn you, and all the other groups."

Elsa's face went from jovial to grim as they relayed the predicament to her. They told about the attacked city, omitting the Outcasts involvement for the moment, and Phoenix's vision. She remained silent for a minute, digesting the information.

She cast her eyes toward Kota, who stared back unflinchingly. "So you're a city mutant?" she asked, her tone unreadable. Kota nodded stiffly, not knowing whether this was some kind of issue with these colony mutants or not. Maybe they refused to harbor mutants that had been enslaved by the 'enemy.'

Elsa merely shook her head, the dark expression not leaving. "We've got a few escapees here in the colony. I'm surprised you're part of this team; all the escapees here hardly ever socialize with the others beyond necessity." She paused for a second. "Was it the Outcasts?"

Several of them looked up in surprise, but she waved it off. "I met James and Kai a few times before they decided to make their own club. I'm smart enough to tell when they're involved. How many other groups do you know of gutsy enough to attack _inside _city boundaries?"

The others nodded in agreement, Phoenix growling something under her breath.

"Issue?" Elsa asked her.

She glared, though not necessarily at anyone seated at the table. "They're trying to start a war here. Are you saying you wouldn't have a problem with that?"

Elsa shuffled her hands together. "I don't blame them for wanting change. Who doesn't? But I can see your problem, mine too. Out here, we're not warriors. Even if the Seekers or the Outcasts are strong enough to fight, I doubt there would be many of us that could. Repercussions wouldn't go over very well for us. Plus, most mutants are so scared they're just content with the status quo. Better to be alive in poverty than dead." She shrugged, as if sloughing the grim topic off her shoulders before she stood up.

"You can do your trading at noon in the Center; should be controlled enough. I'll keep your game safe for you until then. Anyone for breakfast?" she asked. They all nodded and Elsa spun on her heel and headed into the back room once more.

The talk following was mostly discussing their route after the ravine colony, and where they could begin looking for strays and the Sentinel factories. They were narrowing down a space in the next state where there could likely be a factory when several plates were plunked down in front of them.

"Bon appetite," Elsa said, hands on her hips. "You got the last good cuts I had. Well, at least until you start doling out the meat later. Enjoy."

They pulled their plates forward. Static, Lotusfire, and Ballista goggled at the plates, beholding cooked slabs of meat, a slice of golden-brown bread, and a small pile of greens. Static grabbed the nearest thing to her, and bit into the bread. Those watching could have sworn her pupils changed size, and her jaw almost hit the table top.

"What…the _hell_…is on that?" she said, a look of awe creeping over her face.

Laughter burst out from the senior boys, as Evangeline smirked.

Limb controlled his laughter enough to say, "That would be butter Stace."

"What? Butter can't taste _that _good," she said in disbelief, before biting in again. This time her eyes closed in bliss and she moaned with pleasure. "I haven't had the slightest taste of butter for five years."

The others swiftly followed and bit into the crispy bread slices.

"Hoe-wie thit," Kota attempted to say through a very full mouth, her green eyes massive. Chris's tail was thumping happily on the wooden floor, and Matt was quietly eating his meal as quickly as he could.

"And that's why they keep Elsa around," Tcelfer said as he leaned his seat back on two legs. "Nobody can bring out the taste of home like that girl. Also, she knows how to make butter old fashioned style. That's pretty useful."

"I'll marry her if she keeps this up," mumbled Kota through a full mouth.

The remainder of their meal was interspersed with pleasured moans as the bread and the equally delicious beef was consumed, the senior members snickering the whole time.

* * *

Nikolai stood rigidly, his hands firmly on his weapon. He believed in reason, but he also believed in the human survival instinct. Plus, this wasn't his first rodeo here. It was better to have one hand on the weapon when it came to negotiating with pushy, hungry individuals that didn't particularly trust them in the first place.

The team was stationed in the Center, the only open space in the jumble of huts and makeshift houses. Calling it the Center was actually ironic, since the space was stationed at the north corner of the colony grounds. It was basically the trading area where people could barter and haggle for what they needed.

He cast a glance at Limb who was standing in front of their wares, looking out at the surge of bodies that milled about and drew close. The team was a little hard to ignore; their cohesiveness as a group could bring in far more game and valuables than a single hunter or a disjointed party of hunters. Elsa had helped them skin and dress the meats, as well as preparing some separate furs and skins. Feathers from their caught birds were on display for homemade arrows and bedding. Antelope horns, fish, multitudes of fur brought the community members flocking forward.

"What do you want for a deer?" growled a scrawny young man as he eyed the game.

"Information," Limb said simply.

"That's it?" the other mutant asked in disbelief. He must have joined the colony since their last visit. Many here were already familiar with their non-material prices. Limb nodded.

"That's it; just answer the questions I have for you as truthfully as possible."

"Hell, I'll tell you where to find Atlantis if that's all you're askin' for," the mutant said, his eyes gleaming.

Limb paused for a moment before speaking. "I can tell you're relatively new here, so that could be useful. Do you know of any small groups of mutants you might have encountered in the past few months? They could be in the immediate region or wherever you might have come across them."

The scrawny young man eyed them pointedly. "You some of those bounty hunter mutants? Catchin' your own kind and handin' them in for stuff?" The slight scowl on his sallow face intensified.

"No, we're representatives to another colony; we're trying to find out if anyone is in need of help."

The scowl remained, but the other guy shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Saw a group 'bout a month ago, out west." He began to reach for his promised prize when his wrist was caught in a tight grip between slender fingers. Phoenix's hot stare caused him to gulp.

"Specifics, if you don't mind. That prey doesn't come up and lie down quietly at our feet, so I want my money's worth," she said coldly, the end of her braid flickering and sparking.

"Okay, okay, let go o' me bitch," he hissed anxiously. He yelped as she tightened her grip a bit before letting him go.

"Now tell the nice man what you know," she growled, letting the insult pass but not letting him have the last word. The scrawny guy grumbled but went into more detail, eyeing Phoenix warily the rest of the time. Once finished he accepted his deer and slunk away.

"Wasn't lying?" Limb asked Phoenix as she stood beside him.

"Nope, though I kinda wish he was. Would've given me an excuse to squeeze harder, the little slimeball," she said stonily.

"You know, I'm beginning to wonder if you like picking fights," Limb said with a mock tone of contemplation in his voice.

"Now whatever could have given you that idea?" his friend replied with equal sarcasm.

The trading continued this way for a while. Limb, Tcelfer, Static, and Ballista did the negotiations while the others kept an eye out, making sure no one tried to make off with a free prize while their backs were turned. Phoenix worked double duty, catching several people trying to lie to get a one-way deal. These people she chased off with a snarl and a snap of flame sent their way. The Seekers may have been about helping others, but there was a thin line between helping and just being a doormat. Hell if she would see some stingy cheaters try to walk all over them. However, she refrained from stopping several coming up with the same intent. The difference between these and the ones she had chased off were thin frames and desperation shining in their eyes. From many of these she could hear thoughts of fear and sorrow, thoughts of sick or starving friends or siblings. To these she turned a blind eye. She doubted Limb was oblivious anyway; he knew perfectly well when he was being cheated, and when compassion was needed more than info.

Several hours passed before they began to run out of animal products to barter. They still had some hardware materials, but those they were saving for further down the road.

"Is that it?" Static inquired, glancing at their lack of game.

"Not yet," Limb said, picking up one more pack. "Help me with these," he said, handing out what looked like medicines and pharmaceutical supplies.

"More for trading?" she asked.

"No. These aren't for trading." He stood out front of the group and called loudly into the crowd. "ANY WHO NEED MEDICINAL SUPPLIES, LINE UP OVER HERE."

Some didn't look over, but many began to push toward them. Tcelfer and Amp helped nudge them into a semi-orderly line and began to ask what they needed. The requests were relayed back to the group and Static and Lotusfire worked to find the items among the two bags they had brought. Hexenwolf and Ballista moved up and down the line handing them out.

Hexenwolf worked his way up and down the line, trying not to let himself become edgy from all the sensory stimuli. So many scents, so many sounds. Hands reached toward him, trying to get what they needed. The conversation from earlier came to mind. He believed even further his own opinions; they weren't ready for war, not yet. These people were strange to him; he was a survivor, and though they too lived on in this harsh world, they couldn't face danger like he could, like Phoenix or Limb could, like the Outcasts could. It would be wrong to condemn them to even greater suffering before they were ready to take the pain and the sacrifice.

He glanced back toward the front of the line, watching as Phoenix and Limb took the requests. Suddenly a young woman broke away from the line and scurried toward the two Seekers. Tcelfer started forward to stop her, but then halted. She seemed to be talking to Limb and Phoenix, pleading it looked like. When she turned her head a bit Hexenwolf could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Phoenix and Limb exchanged a few words, before Phoenix waved him off and followed the desperate girl away, both of them vanishing into the crowd.

By the time the medicines were gone and late afternoon light streamed into the ravine, Phoenix still had not returned. The group, sans their telepath, returned to the old hotel where Elsa waited with dinner in the parlor where they would stay the night.

"Where'd Phoenix go?" Lotusfire asked once they were settled in.

Limb shrugged, keeping his face blank. "She's just taking care of some business."

Matt said nothing but thought back to earlier when he'd seen her leave. The situation left a cold pit in his stomach, unexplained sorrow creeping at the edge of his brain.

"I'm going for a quick walk," he said quietly as he stood. Limb acknowledged him with a nod, letting him go. The tall boy paced from the room and out into the colony streets. The sun was setting, and for the first time he noticed makeshift lanterns lining the pathways between huts, roughly hewn beams of wood with shallow bowls of clay stuck on top. Dried twigs and leaves served as tinder to small flames that danced within the bowls, lighting up the colony as best they could.

Matt wandered the streets, back in the general direction of the Center. He shifted to his hybrid form, his golden eyes glowing in the semi-gloom. His appearance attracted little attention, so he was able to move about easily.

It was on a narrow path near the Center that he caught a familiar scent of pine and flame. He turned aside, following the muddled trail through the multitude of other scents.

The trail stopped outside one of the shacks. It was a little taller than he was, and about seven feet in length. His nose twitched and his ears flattened. The smell of sickness came toward him through the blanket that covered the entrance, and a faint cough reached his ears. Matt hesitated, but after a moment drew aside the flap an inch.

Evangeline was there, knelt among a jumble of messy blankets and medicine boxes, an oil lamp burning in the corner. Beside her was the young woman who had called her away. The tears were still streaming down her face as she gripped a small hand. Said hand belonged to a tiny girl who lay among the blankets, her face white and hair damp with sweat. Hazy, fever-clouded eyes stared up at the weeping woman and at Evangeline.

A soft voice was singing quiet words, and Matt was somehow unsurprised to find it was Evangeline. It wasn't an angelic voice, nor powerful in the least. It was instead hushed, but he could still hear the hard, defiant edge that was distinctly Evangeline's.

"_Lay down your weary head tonight; see the stars all come alight. The gardens of the skies, reflected in your eyes, hush, do not fear the night. Sleep until another dawn, the golden sunlight on heaven's lawn. You are loved this night little one, follow the undying sun, it will lead you home…"_

Matt watched as the little girl closed her eyes. A silent minute passed before he saw her thin chest rise and fall for the last time. Soft weeping came from the young woman, who he assumed was the dead child's older sibling, as she cradled her little sister in her arms. Evangeline remained where she was, stone-still.

"I'm sorry." Evangeline's clipped voice was quiet, but there was a great mix of emotion there: sorrow, sympathy, anger, bitterness, and helplessness. Without another word she stood and took her exit, leaving the grieving girl with the last of her family. Matt stepped back, but when Evangeline emerged she didn't seemed surprised that he was there. Without a word she set off back toward the old hotel.

He followed along, for a few moments quietly, but her feelings were affecting him too greatly. Whether or not he was in wolf form, he had a field of empathy around him at all times. It was almost like reading other people's auras. Everyone had their own specific aura, but it could shift and change with thought and feeling. Evangeline normally kept hers watertight, knowing he was around. Now though, she wasn't bothering to conceal her wash of emotions. Sadness and anger were the most predominant. The aura created by the little girl's death became so strong that he felt compelled to speak.

"I'm sorry," he said, repeating her previous words.

She turned her head to him. "Why are _you_ apologizing?" Her typical scowl was still in place, but she wasn't bothering to hide the sorrow.

He shrugged, allowing the smallest of smirks, though there was nothing happy about it. "I don't know. I know words are pretty useless, but sometimes it seems better to say something than to stay quiet."

Evangeline grunted, but for once did not have a barbed comment to return.

"Did you know the girl?" he asked. Her emotions were pretty strong still.

She shook her head. "Met the sister once or twice before, but I never knew them. She came to us because she knew we knew first aid and stuff. The fever was too far along though; not much I could do. Why ask?" She seemed to be trying to get back on the defense, though it seemed more out of habit than effort.

"Your emotions seemed pretty strong for someone you didn't know," he said, doubting she would appreciate him mentioning it, and in her present state she would probably take any opportunity she could to swat him back from their interaction and get her thorns back in place. Surprisingly, his reading of her emotions was not what she jumped on.

"Why wouldn't I feel like I do, just because I didn't know her?" she snapped, her eyes glowing. "A little girl just died and I should just shrug it off?"

"No," he said calmly, expecting the backlash. "You've always been detached, why care so much now, even if she is a child? You feel as if you've lost your own sister."

"Who ever said I didn't care?" she barked. Her temper was getting the best of her, and she was slipping.

"No one, but your actions don't exactly tell me you do or don't. I'm not questioning your motives, but you don't like other people, and now suddenly you care as if they're your own."

"I thought I said I didn't dislike people! Where do you get off…" she suddenly jerked to a halt, glaring before she tore her hands through her hair, pulling strands from the braid. "Dammit, how did you get me to talk? What is with you?"

"What's so wrong with talking?" he asked, leaning up against one of the wooden shacks, staring at her intensely with his blue eyes. "Others can talk. I don't blame you if you're closed up because of past experiences; everyone has suffered one way or other these past years."

Unexpectedly, Evangeline sighed. It was both exasperation and defeat.

"I won't be able to escape without explaining _something_, am I?" His unwavering stare gave her the answer. She ran her hands through her hair again, like she was trying to figure out how to explain something even she wasn't clear on.

"Believe it or not, my "tragic backstory" is not why I'm a bitch," she said, conceding to his persistence, with air quotes around the two words. "I can understand being traumatized, but I wouldn't stoop that low. I'd rather not be pegged the Mary Sue that begs for attention with her woes." Her lips curled in contempt. Matt remained silent, letting her puzzle this into words on her own.

"Uugghh, okay," she said, "I'll try to say this with some form of logic." She tugged furiously on her braid, as if hoping to pull the answer from her brainstem and out through the rusty-red strands. "The reason I act like I don't care is because…I guess…I would care too much? Oh, that's shit," she spat, turning around and putting her hands on her hips. Matt would have found her utter bafflement funny if she wasn't opening up to him.

"Let me start again. Every day…I see what this country has become. Every day I see the suffering around me, and I realize how much I hate it, how much I wish I could stop it all. But I worry that I wouldn't be strong enough." She paused again, wondering how best to proceed. With a groan, she went to perch on the wooden railing beside where he was leaning.

"Listen, I know I haven't had the worst lot out of all this. I've never been imprisoned, never been experimented on. Even when this first began I wasn't the worst off. So many people lost their parents, or family members. I was an only child, and my parents…well, they were humans, and let's just say that when all this shit began there was no love lost when I left."

"They threw you out?" he asked, expressionless.

"Eh, I guess. Showed up on their doorstep after some time away after all this started. I was just going to say goodbye, but the moment my dad opened the door his eyes nearly popped out of his head; he almost slammed the door on my nose he closed it so fast. Of course I was angry and sad, but I think I wasn't really surprised. Ever since I became a mutant they changed around me; I think I was just waiting for the day when they booted me out on my ass." She rubbed her hands together.

"Anyway, like I said, I haven't suffered nearly as much as others have. And I guess that's what I don't want to see," she said, her voice growing quiet. What was that in her tone? Shame? Anger?

"These people I save, that we save, they have been through so much. Kota, you, Chris, most of the people back at home base. I just… I don't want to know about it. When I said before that I don't want to talk to people, it's because I don't want to have to open my eyes and see every ugly thing that the world has become, has inflicted on innocent. How can I keep up my will to fight for them when I know how hopeless it is? What if I'm too afraid, or too hopeless to help? I keep people at a distance because I need to believe I can change something, even if they don't like me, even if I'm just that stupid girl that can't pull her head out of her ass and see the truth: that there's nothing left to fight for."

Matt realized the pause and raised a question. "Then why aren't you with the Outcasts? They fight for a cause."

Evangeline smirked hollowly. "Believe it or not, James is just as much of a head-up-his-ass idealist as I am. He refuses to see the reason why I fight with Seekers just as much as I refuse to see why he fights as he does. He believes that there is no hope in what we do, and that war is the only answer. But he doesn't acknowledge the cost. He doesn't want to see the fact that in a war like he wants, millions will lose their lives. The America we knew once would be shattered beyond repair; things could never return to how they were. Me? I'm not ready to pay that price yet, because it isn't mine to pay. I'm just responsible for our people until the time comes when they can decide." She fell silent.

Matt stared at her. He had not believed Evangeline to be totally heartless, but the sincerity she had just displayed was surprising. He still couldn't quite grasp her logic, but he could guess at what it was in basic terms. She didn't get close because she wanted to retain her idealism, and she believed growing too close to the tragedies of those she cared for would take it away.

"I guess I understand, and in a way it's admirable," he conceded, looking at her.

She stared incredulously. "So, my logic, which is basically the equivalent of a little kid sticking her fingers in her ears so she doesn't hear what she doesn't want to hear, is admirable to you?"

A puff of laughter escaped him and he turned his gaze away. "I'm not saying it makes sense, but you do it to make sure you can still fight for others. You make them your responsibility, though I don't really know why."

He might have been mistaken since he was looking away, but he thought when he mentioned her pledge of responsibility he had caught a brief flicker of fear in her eyes. It was gone just as soon as it had come, and he was left questioning whether it had been there or not.

"Come on," she said shortly, hopping off the railing. It had grown dark by this time, and the only light came from the street lanterns and a few flashes from inside the huts. "The team's probably wondering where we are at this point, and we have yet another dawn start tomorrow."

Matt got up to follow, when she suddenly spun on her heel and jabbed her finger at him like a lance.

"Now, just because I explained some things doesn't mean I'm going to spill my soul to you from now on. My wanting to keep my idealism doesn't mean you people don't still annoy me. And lastly, I swear to God, if you tell anyone about this, the next time we come around here we'll have a nice big wolf skin to trade," she threatened, her aura radiating nothing but deadly seriousness.

"I promise, I won't tell a soul," he said with integrity. She huffed and stalked off. Behind her back, Matt smirked.

* * *

_A/N: I figured it was about time I explained something about Evangeline. I know she can be irritating at times, but now you have a reason why. Another chatty chapter, but that will change next installment. Review, because I love hearing what you think._

_I'd like to thank _**Hori, Super garurumon, Muse of Storytelling, Arian Eripmav, TarjavsAnnette, Stormplains, KA, Rex123, A-Rog, **_and_ **A Half-Empty Glass **_for their reviews. I hope you guys continue to enjoy :)_

_**Next Chapter: **__A Sentinel brawl. Get out your foam fingers. _


	14. Sentinels vs Seekers

_Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I was going to post this at midnight, but I figured people would be too busy tomorrow to read. But if you want to consider this a Christmas present, hold off until tomorrow. If you don't care, read, review, and enjoy!_

**X2: Survivors**

Dark brown eyes narrowed dangerously. Full lips pursed in concentration, the sound of sand shifting below settling feet. The clinking of metal echoed tensely through the great space.

The object of the brown eyes' focus stood tall and proud directly across from the eyes' owner. Pale eyes met dark as the still opponent smirked toothily.

"Well, come at me," she purred, raising a hand to beckon her adversary forward.

Said adversary was quick to comply.

The pale eyed girl flipped backward as a coil of chain came whipping with vicious intent toward her, spraying sand about. The pale eyed girl couldn't remain still for long as the metal length came flying towards her again, twirled with surprising skill and strength. A lanky shape followed the chain, charging with all the purpose of a rampaging bull.

The pale eyed girl was quick. She dropped low under the chain coil, darting forward and smashing her shoulder into her opponent's leg, flipping the tall body over her shoulder. Her opponent wasn't down though. The moment the wiry body hit the ground, it rolled with impact and shot once more to its feet. It returned to the charge.

The pale eyed girl once again tried to feint downward, but her adversary expected it this time, and swooped down with her. The left arm shot forward, another weapon moving in for the kill: a long piercing blade attached by a metal ring around the middle finger. The pale eyed girl barely managed to dodge the thin weapon before it punctured her right eye. The girl wasn't fazed, jumping on the opportunity. Before the left arm could retract, the girl seized it and bent it back. If she pulled hard enough she could completely dislocate the forearm bones from the humerus at the elbow. Unfortunately for her, her opponent wasn't one to accept defeat easily. The pale girl felt her legs suddenly hooked behind her opponent's knees, and with a mighty yank, both combatants went down.

The two writhed in the sand like dueling serpents, each trying to rise first and gain the small window of advantage therein. Again and again the pale eyed girl dodged the piercers that continuously sank into the sand, unable to catch her. She shot her knee up, catching her adversary in the ribs. A loud grunt was her reward as she used her opponent's pain to flip them both over, putting her on top.

Like lightning, her hand flicked out and seized her opponent's wrist, keeping the long chain from coming into use at close range. Her other arm blocked her opponent's free hand from reaching up with the piercer. Lastly, she used her legs to lock down the thrashing hips below her. The pale eyed girl cracked a sharp grin, her silver irises gleaming in triumph.

"Give up yet?" she hissed. The furious and unexpected head-butt told her that no, her foe was not ready to go down. The dark haired opponent on the bottom of the tussle surged upward and threw the pale girl off. Once again both combatants were standing, glaring and ready for more.

"If only it was raining," said a brain-addled voice which went unnoticed by the fighters. Someone else did take notice though.

"Quiet," Phalanx hissed sternly at whatever male Outcast had said that, though he couldn't exactly fault him. The two female combatants in the center of the sand ring were sweaty and panting, a fetching enough sight to any young adult male. The sand pit need only have been wet and sludgy and it would have been a dream-come-true for many young men present.

He watched keenly as Spice, growling in frustration, surged forward toward Magdalena Oliver, dubbed Tik Tok in her initiation as one of the team. James smirked. It had been quite a while since anyone had managed to get Spice hot and bothered in a fight. Certainly the feline blonde was both the stronger and the faster of the two, but Tik Tok had an ability to fight back even when she was outmatched. Many times Spice had swept her down, but each time she shot right back up. Her movements were always fast and aggressive, and though not always controlled, every move and tactic was with complete focus and intent.

Her weapon choices were also rather strange, but she wielded each with a mastery that had surprised him. The melee chain and emeici, or emei piercing blades were seamlessly connected to her fighting style.

Tik Tok was probably the greatest achievement out of all the mutants they had picked up from the Lincoln experimentation facilities. Magdalena wasn't the most sociable of creatures; her demeanor was slightly off, probably a mild form of Asperger's syndrome affecting her speech and social skills to a certain degree, but out of all their new recruits she was the most dedicated. Almost constantly, she was practicing hand to hand, or with her weapons. Whenever she was put in the sparring ring she attacked with nothing less than everything she had. After the roughly six months since she had arrived, she could defeat every one of her fellow Lincoln mutants with ease. Now she practiced with the senior members.

There was a sudden loud thump of disturbed sand as Spice finally came out on top, Tik Tok pinned beneath her with Spice's clawed hand hovering over her throat, a mock killing blow. James inwardly shrugged. Not quite senior level yet, but getting pretty close. He held up his hand.

"End match," he called commandingly. Spice sinuously drew away from Tik Tok, her face smug but still showing she was impressed with her opponent's skills. Tik Tok stood, saying nothing. Despite the fact that she'd lost there was still pride in her face.

"Spice is the winner, but both of you displayed strengths and flaws in this fight. Spice, what were some of Tik Tok's flaws?"

"She doesn't strategize her attacks, or what could go wrong. She thinks quick on her feet but that won't always save her," Spice barked out obediently. She was quite efficient at pointing out flaws, aside from her own. James nodded, and then turned to Magdalena.

"Tik Tok, what did you find wrong with Spice's fighting style?"

Tik Tok paused, aware of the many eyes of the spectators watching her, before she spoke.

"Spice is too confident in her own abilities. She relies too much on her strength and speed. Also, she does not take risks as seriously as she should, always barely missing a deadly blow." She spoke without contractions and with total seriousness. Spice rolled her eyes and grumbled something under her breath. She disliked having her shortcomings pointed out, especially in front of others. Magdalena ignored her sparring partner.

James nodded; satisfied with the conclusions the two girls came to. "Then you're done. Igneous, Fox Howl, you're next."

The two girls made their way out of the sandpit as a girl with black rock for skin and a tall sandy-haired boy took their places. Spice and Tik Tok found empty spaces among the great crowd of Outcast warriors that circled the sand pit, or perched above among the towers of rock that upheld the ceiling, watching the sparring matches like they would a basketball game. It was entertainment as much as it was training; people would place bets on which of the pair would come out on top, or how long the match would last, trading trinkets or meal turns as winnings. James allowed it. Lord knew they deserved some form of fun, and it gave them motive to pay close attention to the matches.

He felt breath on his neck as Sonata leaned in close to him. Sadly, it wasn't the trigger to a bout of physical affection; the two leaders never showed intimacy in front of their followers.

"So what do you think? About Tik Tok?" Kai murmured just loud enough to be heard over the cheers and whoops as Igneous and Fox Howl began their bout down in the ring.

James cast a swift glance at Magdalena, who was watching the match with wide, rapidly blinking eyes.

"She's gotten very good," he whispered back.

"Well I know that," Kai hissed in exasperation and amusement. "I mean, do you think she's ready to join the senior sector? She can last nearly fifteen minutes in the ring against Spice, who's one of our best melee fighters."

"The senior sector is reserved for our best fighters _and_ tactical leaders," James said back. "She's certainly proven herself a warrior, but I'm not sure if her social skills would allow her to be a field commander."

"Oh come on, you heard Tonia, she thinks on her feet. She saved you guys when you picked her up, in case you've forgotten." Kai gave him a half smile. "You supply enough skull-cracking strategy for the whole team. Maybe a little intuition is what we need," she said.

James considered, and was about to reply when Kai suddenly stiffened. Her face looked upward, toward the stream of sunlight leading into open air. James realized that she was listening. He grew tense, but knew better than to interrupt her.

She turned back to him, but her eyes held no fear or sign of danger. In fact, she looked rather pleased.

"We have some company," she said vaguely. "Might wanna get the rest of the seniors together." She spun around and began walking toward one of the exits, casting a beckoning glance behind her. James didn't bother to pester, trusting his unofficial wife. He gathered the senior team, composed of Spice, Hive, Nina Valdez, who was also known as Mitosis, and Scream, whenever he was around. They followed their leader up through the tunnel passages and out through a hidden entrance.

Sonata was waiting for them on the edge of a slope, looking down with a slight smile on her face.

"Guess who found us?" she inquired of them as they arrived, not taking her eyes away from two figures that were climbing the hill toward them. The one in the lead was a slim-figured, young Pakistani woman in dirt-smudged jeans and a dark grey jacket. Her long black hair was gathered in a braid and her blue eyes shone in the sun. The second was a tall young man with dark brown hair falling past his shoulders. They could see his gaze fixed on them as they waited for the two.

Just as the duo reached the top, James called out to the girl with false seriousness. "Should I be concerned that you found us this easily?"

"No, because it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway; I'd have found you wherever you chose to hide." The girl smiled cheekily as she arrived in front of them. James smiled welcomingly.

"Nice to see you back Shazma. Who's your friend?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Panting a bit after she had stopped walking, she threw out a hand toward her companion. "Casey Williams. Did me a solid so I thought I'd bring him along.

"Nice to meet you," Casey said, holding out his hand for a shake. James took it, but eyed him keenly.

"What brought you two together?" he asked, his tone probing for information. This guy was an unknown, and it was better to know something about him before letting him into their base.

Shazma's face grew a little red. "He uh…kinda saved my life. Sentinel," she admitted reluctantly.

James stared sternly at her. "You do seem to have a problem staying away from those. I thought by now you would have learned their usual circuits."

"I know perfectly well where their patrol routes are," she snapped. "As a matter of fact, that's half the reason I came here. Where I was attacked was nowhere near one of the circuits, and the Sentinel had been upgraded. Again," she growled ominously.

The Outcasts stared at her, most of their eyes wide. James felt dark anticipation growing. At last, this was what they had been waiting for. Shazma was staring at them, her angular eyes narrowing further.

"You knew about this, didn't you? Or at least you were expecting something like this?"

"How long ago were you attacked?" James asked, skirting her question.

"Nearly two months ago. If it makes you feel better, it was hell trying to find you, even with my skills, and we had to be a lot more careful than usual," she said stonily.

"Two months? That long?" Spice said. "Why didn't we know about this sooner?"

"The increase is acting like a movement, starting out east and heading west. Where are we again? Arizona?" The Outcasts nodded. "Yeah, I think I was in Kansas when I got attacked. The spread out of those clunkers should be starting here soon, if it hasn't already."

That was their signal. Their last mission had ultimately done what they had wanted it to do: rattle the cages. Things were in motion now, and the Outcasts had to be ready for them.

"Come on," James barked commandingly, spinning around and heading back for the entrance to the hide out. "We need to spread the word."

His team fell into step behind him. Shazma fluidly stepped up to join their ranks, falling in beside the quietly grim Scream. Casey trailed in the rear. He wasn't quite sure what was going on; he just knew that something big was about to happen. Ahead of him he saw the tall Pakistani boy beside Shazma giving the dark-haired girl an odd stare. She seemed to notice.

"Oh, stop giving me that look. It's not like I search out every Sentinel within a fifty mile radius of me," she scowled under his reprimanding stare. Said stare did not let up, causing Shazma to huff a little bit and jog forward, putting some distance between them. The tall boy did nothing for a few moments, before lengthening his strides to draw level with her once more. Casey thought he caught Shazma smiling.

* * *

The sky was black, black as only a midnight swathed in looming storm clouds could be. Far off in the distance the rumbling of thunder signaled a storm, but no lightning flashes could be seen yet. The late July storm front towered above a small town of empty houses. It painted a perfect picture of a dark, apocalyptic world, where life has failed and the only thing left was remnants of a once great civilization long since dead. Harsh winds whipped through the empty streets and tore at the leaves on the bowing trees.

Inside one of the large, once pretty houses, a little voice whimpered as thunder cracked the air above them. It was rapidly hushed by a soothing voice.

Barely a minute later had the first lightning strike of the storm lighted up the treacherous night, casting ghostly light through the windows of this inhabited house. Multiple figures cowered away from the light, but several others remained still.

Limb stood at the window, watching the beginnings of the great squall. He didn't flinch when the thunder broke above them, but the frightened whimpers caused him to turn back to the room's inhabitants.

Almost a month had passed since their mission began, filled with weary travel and negotiations among several colonies, yet they still had a long way to go. Those sitting in the room were those they had found in the past several weeks.

Most were loners, those they had picked up alone or in pairs, who had leapt at the chance at safety and stability, though there were a few exceptions. There was a young man named Evan and his partner Brittany, and their baby daughter. The two had looked on the Seekers as miracles; their baby was only four months old, and they feared that the child wouldn't survive the next winter. So far they had been turned away from every colony they had tried to settle in, neither being highly skilled beyond providing for each other. There was also a group of siblings, all five of them mutants, ranging in age from eighteen to nine. The oldest sister was thin and haggard, obviously the major provider for the struggling family. She would always refuse to eat before her brothers and sisters.

The staircase leading upstairs to where they sheltered creaked, causing several of the refugees to jump in fear. It was only Ballista, coming in and shaking out her freezing body.

"Still clear," she hissed into the room. "We need to get moving soon. Where is he?"

"Still trying to get a lock on him, now shut up and let me concentrate," growled Evangeline's voice from the corner. She was sitting cross-legged and had her eyes scrunched up in concentration.

Ballista huffed in impatience, causing Tcelfer to shrug in sympathy.

"We can't leave these guys here and risk them being discovered, especially if we screw up somehow. We gotta get them back first."

"I know," groused Ballista as she sat down hard in frustration on an old armoire. One of the loners they had picked up who had been leaning nearby scooted in closer to her. Limb, still standing by the window, couldn't hear what he whispered to her, but it seemed to be a pick-up line, because Ballista's reply was a sharp, blunt retort of 'I'm a lesbian.' It sent the hopeful mutant back into his original resting spot, disappointed. Limb couldn't help but snort faintly with laughter. Ballista's cut-to-the-quick ways, while sometimes chafing, never ceased to amuse.

Finally, Phoenix let out a satisfied noise. "Got him. He should be here in a minute."

And indeed, within a short time, the room was filled with a blast of black and purple smoke. A familiar Dominican speedster slash teleporter stood in the room.

"Good to see you guys," Jump grinned at the Seekers in the room, but he knew this was no time for chatting. He immediately turned to the group of refugees. "Okay everyone; I'll be your transportation expert this evening. If you could all kindly gather whatever possessions you have, and place all loose items somewhere they will be safe we'll be on our way. I'm afraid Seeker Airlines can't be responsible for any personal items lost in interspace dimensions."

A few chuckles followed his mini-speech as the group began to collect their things. Meanwhile, the Seekers rose and headed for the door leading out. Jump caught up with them before they exited.

"Hey, you guys sure you don't want me to come back, once I get them all safe?" he asked seriously.

"No," Limb said. "You'll be exhausted once you get them all transported back home; you'll be in no condition. Just make sure to get them all back within the hour. There's no telling if this place will stay safe if this doesn't go perfectly," he commanded firmly. Jump nodded obediently.

"Good luck. You're gonna need it," he wished them a bit morbidly before turning around and reentering the room. A moment later, he and three refugees vanished in a blast of smoke.

"Come on," Limb muttered to his team. They all marched down the stairs and out into the streets.

During Jump's entry, the clouds had finally decided to open the floodgates. It was now dumping rain, soaking them the moment they stepped from the abandoned house.

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be really fun," Tcelfer yelled over the pounding drops on the cracked asphalt.

"What are you complaining for? There's plenty of reflective surfaces around, we don't have to go looking for one," Static replied to his gripe. Ever since the storm had begun she seemed invigorated. As she looked upward into the raging sky, her eyes seemed to crackle with electric blue light. The lightning began to increase above them, the thunder roaring like celestial drums in the sky.

"Could you tone it down?!" Ballista yelled, clapping her hands over her ears. Static gave her a confused look, causing the wolf girl to point upward. "Take a chill pill already, I'm going deaf here!"

"I didn't know I was doing it," Static called back, looking up again.

"Everyone!" Limb yelled, catching their attention. "We don't have time to wait. This is the perfect time to do this, and we can't afford to waste it. Tcelfer, get us going! Phoenix, take two and keep it low!"

Both Seekers nodded. Tcelfer took Hexenwolf by the shoulder and dove through a large puddle by the curb. Phoenix, rising into the air, began to crackle with blue-purple and white flames. The aura of fire reached out to include Amp and Ballista, before she shot off into the bellowing night, a pale spot that was almost instantly lost in the deluge. Only a few minutes passed before first Tcelfer and then Phoenix returned, taking the rest of the team to their destination, about twenty miles from their current location.

Static tried not to toss her stomach as Phoenix hurled them through the air. It had been awhile since she'd done this, and she'd forgotten how disorienting it was.

She, Limb, and Phoenix touched down in a group of tightly clustered pines. The rest of their team waited there, peering down a muddy slope and toward a harsh, unnatural light that glowed into the dark forest.

The slope trailed downward toward the edge of the forest clump, and nestled under the last boughs of the trees was a collection of unnatural structures: great hulking buildings, mazes of barb wire fences, and the traditional ominous smokestack. A Sentinel factory. All the information they had gathered about Sentinel appearances in the region had led them here.

Limb shifted, aware of the way Lotusfire was shivering a bit, or how Static's eyes had grown rather large. Ballista's black tail was quivering, whether in anger, anticipation, or fear he didn't know.

"We're dismantling it, as quietly as possible," Limb hissed to his team over the roar of the rattling pines.

"Why quietly?" Hexenwolf didn't appear afraid. Rather, his pupils had grown very large, almost rendering his blue eyes utterly black. The wolf was close to the surface, the extra rasp in his voice almost coming out like a growl.

"Because," Amp replied, "people don't tend to make a fuss when things are done quietly. When you go in explosively, you're going to get explosive retaliation."

"Amp's right, we're not going in there to wage war; we're neutralizing a threat," Limb said.

"What's the difference?" Ballista growled.

"We don't want to cause a show, that's the difference. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves. Now, we'll need two teams," he declared, going into debrief mode. He pointed into the center of the building cluster to a low-to-the-ground bunker. "Sentinels will bring in mutants alive if commanded, so they can use them as testing to make sure the Sentinels are effective. They'll most likely be hidden in that bunker. Amp, you lead Static, Ballista, and Lotusfire there and try to free as many as you can, but only after our signal. Tcelfer, Hexenwolf, Phoenix, you're with me. We're taking out the security."

* * *

The guard shifted uncomfortably in the rain, pulling up his collar to gain some meager extra protection. How he despised nights like these. Right now most of his fellow guards were huddled around in the break room, trying to get some reception on the shitty little TV in there, or were at least stationed somewhere dry and indoors.

He squinted out into the night. Despite the floodlights, beyond the fences he couldn't see jack. It was just an impenetrable black wall. The guard tried not to get himself worked up, but he couldn't deny that this place gave him the willies. He used to just be a normal security guard safe in the cities, but lately there had been an upswing in transfers for those of his profession. The government, such as it was, had kept everything hush-hush, so all he knew was that one day he was kicking back in a desk chair in a normal business building, the next he's transferred out into the wilderness to babysit this factory.

The wilderness was a spooky place, especially at night. Some of the guards that had been here long before he had liked to tell phony stories about cannibal mutants that would sometimes manage to slink over the fences and rip the throats out of the unwatchful. He wasn't six, and therefore didn't believe them, but it did cause one to wonder what _did_ lurk out there beyond the fence. The guard mentally slapped himself again. This was stupid; in the four months he'd been here he had seen nothing but the same boring concrete in the same boring lot.

His only clue that something was suddenly behind him was but a whisper of instinct, a tingle up the spine. He had next to no time to react to the feeling before a strong limb curled around his throat, as firmly as a strangling python. His cry of fear was choked off as the arm tightened, its brother winding around his torso and locking his arms to his side. The man struggled to breathe, and as he did so he began to notice the texture of the arm cutting of his air. It was…_furry? _The man croaked in horror, just barely managing to turn his head to the side. He would have screamed if he'd been able. His wide brown eyes locked with monstrous, glowing yellow ones, with narrow pupils that seemed to stare into his soul. It was the last thing he saw before he passed out.

Slowly, a tall dark shape with clawed hands, furry limbs, and yellow eyes let the man slide to the wet ground, completely unconscious. It briefly checked the man's pulse with a clawed finger, before hoisting the man over his shoulder. With a mighty leap, the werewolf seized onto the lip of the roof on the nearest building, hauling itself up. It trekked up the sloping roof, crouched low, until it reached the top. Using a piece of wire, the creature lashed the man's wrist to a narrow exhaust pipe, and stuffed a rag into his mouth to keep him from calling out should he wake.

The creature's foot-paws pattered noiselessly across the rooftop, its form nothing more than a shadow conjured by the bright floodlights. It hovered on the building's edge, searching out more guards.

A brief mental nudge from the Phoenix gave him a hint. _"There's one beyond the next building across from you." _

Hexenwolf nodded, stepping back a bit before launching himself over the gap and landing in a crouch on the next rooftop. This time, he stayed on all fours as he prowled toward the building's edge. He peeked down. The guard stood, oblivious to his fellow's fate, and to the monstrous visage lurking above him.

Hexenwolf dropped silently, bludgeoning the guard on the skull with his powerful fist, knocking the man out instantly. He too was born up to the roof and left bound and gagged there.

Limb's voice echoed in his head, patched through a telepathic link created by Phoenix. _"Outer guards disabled. Team two go," _he ordered. _"Team one, split up. Phoenix, Tcelfer, into the manufacturing building. Disable as much as you can. Hexenwolf, you and I will be making sure the rest of the guards won't pose a problem."_

The werewolf nodded, scanning the empty lot. A brief flicker of moving shadow told him Limb's position. He made a massive leap and landed not far from his leader.

Limb, unsurprised by his rather flashy entrance, nodded his head forward toward one of the buildings, a box-like standard building with white-washed walls and small rectangular windows high up the walls. The telling glow of Limb's blue arms had been suppressed by glove-like covers that reached all the way up to his shoulders and connected to his armor by clips. Limb now appeared to be a normal, albeit strangely dressed, human.

The two young men stalked toward the building's entrance. Beyond the partially open door inside, they could see a shadow moving. According to Hexenwolf's keen senses, a single guard was hanging around the entrance, smoking a cigarette away from the displeased coughing of his peers. Limb cast a glance at the werewolf mutant, who nodded, his golden eyes gleaming eerily.

The smoking guard had no chance of defending himself when the monster of the night swung around the door, seized his head, and cracked his skull back against the wall. The faint thump and the barely audible squeaking of wet paws on linoleum went unnoticed by the others in the building, and they therefore remained unaware of the lurking danger. The two young men crept through the corridors. The entrance they had come through was one of two, one set in the lower corner of the building. The other was on the opposite side, with two main hallways running horizontal through the building, and five vertical branch-offs along each. They paced the main corridors first, before moving inwards from the outer rooms, quietly knocking out anyone they found. The rec room was handled by cutting the lights and quickly clocking all confused parties over the heads as they scrambled about for the light switch. Now all that remained was the security room. It contained two guards. Hexenwolf and Limb eyed each other before moving in.

* * *

Meanwhile, Phoenix and Tcelfer crept through the massive factory building. Phoenix utilized the high ceilings, floating along in the upper gloom like a ghost, carrying Tcelfer along with her arms wrapped around his torso. Any guard unlucky enough to pass beneath them was instantly put out of commission and dragged into the multitudes of piping to be stashed.

Aside from the guards, the security was ridiculously lax. Only a simple door separated them from the great chambers that housed the Sentinel-creating mechanisms.

Phoenix scanned the room with her mind, confirming the no guards were in the vicinity. However, looking at the rows and rows of sleeping, half-prepared Sentinels made her cringe. Tcelfer wore a similar expression.

"I'll get the robots and the factory machinery," Phoenix muttered, "and you get into the control room, screw up as much as you can." Tcelfer nodded and jogged off. Phoenix jumped down off the walkway that overlooked the assembly lines below, landing in a crouch. Conjuring an intense flame in her hand, she moved toward the first of the robots to get started.

* * *

"Keep it narrow Lotusfire, you're almost done."

"I know," Lotusfire panted a bit, "but it's starting to burn my mouth."

"Then blow hotter," Ballista said. "We are NOT getting stopped by a door."

Lotusfire inhaled deeply, pursing his lips, and blew out a molten stream of fire, cutting through the hydraulically locked door around the mechanisms. Right as he reared back, blowing on his singed tongue, the chunk of the metal door fell away, clanking dully as it hit the floor. Amp nudged it open, keeping his gun held up. The guard upstairs had easily been taken care of, but they weren't sure if anyone else was down here.

They were faced with another long, empty corridor with another metal door at the end. Unfortunately, this one had no knob or lock, and a red light blinked over it.

They stood frustrated before Limb contacted them through the mental network they shared.

"_This next door can only be opened directly from the guard room. Luckily, we're there right now, and the guard's subconscious was kind enough to give Hexenwolf the password to open it. Hold on."_

There was a brief pause before the light above the door changed from red to green, and with a hiss the door began to swing open.

"_The locks should be disabled on the mutants' cells as well. Get a move on, we're cutting it close here."_

The four Seekers swept through the door. They pulled to a halt. One of the cell doors was already open, and a shadow was disappearing around the corner at the other end of the hall. They pushed away their uneasiness; a mutant had probably been able to notice their door unlocking and had jumped at opportunity's knock.

Static was the first to wrench open one of the doors, revealing a large mutant with black spines emerging from his back. His dark eyes stared at her, wary and full of confusion.

"We're getting you guys out of here," Static hissed, snapping her fingers and creating a spark to show this was no trick.

The Seekers gathered the imprisoned mutants together with difficulty, the freed people either weeping their thanks or trying to run out as soon as possible.

"_Limb, we've got them out. Are Phoenix and Tcelfer almost done?" _Amp asked.

"_We're working on it!" _Phoenix's voice snapped sharply, bouncing around in his skull like a loose tack. _"There're over a hundred of the freaking things here, we're moving as fast as we can."_

"_Don't worry about it Amp, just get them out. We'll be right behind you."_

Amp called the escapees after him, guiding them toward freedom.

Limb meanwhile rechecked the security cameras, making sure no one had woken up that shouldn't have. Hexenwolf was opening up the access controls for the factory and the Sentinels, removing the wiring and mechanisms from the consoles. Both were fully intent on their tasks, and thus were unaware of the small red light blinking faintly on the security guards' belts. A similar light was blinking on the uniforms of all the unconscious facility personnel.

* * *

"Sir? We're getting the Code 3 signal from the Sentinel base out in Sector Eight."

A lean figure placed his hands on the console top, leaning forward to check the readings the technician had received. The alert said that all of the security personnel and mechanics in the Sector Eight base had not reset their relay systems on their belts; it was required procedure now, stating that every hour all facility workers were to reset the systems to keep the distress call from going out. The only reasons that could explain why none of the workers had reset the system were either because they had all become idiots and had forgotten, or they were unable to, as rendered by outside forces.

The man smiled in pleasure. "And here come the big fish," he murmured to himself.

"What do we do sir?" the technician questioned worriedly.

"We employ the back up security system," his superior said calmly. He entered a password into the computer, causing green block lettering to flash across the screen.

_**Deployment Sequence Commencing…**_

* * *

Phoenix ripped a square sheet of metal from the head of one of the incomplete machines, the same as she'd done to the many others here. Reaching into the inner workings, letting a ball of fire consume her hand, she began to rip out everything she could manage, the flame in her hand singeing important circuitry along the way. Tcelfer was working a few rows over, having finished disabling the control room, now burning his way through the shielding on another of the machines.

Phoenix concentrated. _"Limb, we're about done. Pull out, me and Tcelfer can make it out from here."_

The simple maneuver was not to be. It seemed the cosmos had looked down through the storm clouds that night and decided that the patience and endurance of the Phoenix and her team needed to be tested on that dark evening.

Just as Tcelfer and Phoenix were standing to leave, they were knocked back to their knees as the whole floor shuddered and shifted apart.

_**DEPLOYMENT SEQUENCE COMPLETE**_, an automated voice roared through the facility.

"Oh shit!" Phoenix swore as two giant black shapes began to rise from the parting floor. _"Limb, Hexenwolf, get out now!"_

"Get out!" Phoenix screamed at Tcelfer. Stubborn in his loyalty to his teammates as Gabriel was, he knew this was not a good place for him to get stuck. He dove through the nearest piece of shiny black Sentinel armor, disappearing and leaving Phoenix alone with the two midnight-colored monoliths.

The moment they had fully risen from the floor, their red eyes fixed on her. Simultaneously, their guns rose.

Phoenix smirked, shifting her feet into a half-crouch. "I've been needing to stretch the old muscles. You think you boys can help out with that?" she questioned icily.

Her reply was a plasma discharge through the giant cannons.

Right before she was fried, Phoenix rocketed into the air and toward the Sentinels. With a battle-charged yell, she crashed her gloved fist into the first Sentinel's head. Instead of broken fingers, the giant machine staggered back, tripping over the incomplete Sentinel frames and collapsing into the back wall, crushing it inward.

The second Sentinel had barely turned its head before Phoenix came swooping back around, slamming full-bodied into the robot's chest and rocketing them both through the wall and out into the pouring rain in the courtyard. The great machine crushed the concrete below it, forming a massive divot in the ground.

Phoenix had already risen back into the air, fire wreathing around her despite the dumping rain. Two large fireballs formed in both hands, and with grunts of effort, she heaved them down onto the shifting Sentinel. The fireballs collided with the black armor with giant booms, hitting with the force of small explosions.

Suddenly, Phoenix heard giant footsteps behind her. She managed to spin around in the air, just in time to see a giant black fist coming right at her.

"Oh fu – "

The fist collided with her, full force.

* * *

"_Limb, Hexenwolf, get out now!"_

Limb's head shot up and he whipped around. "Go!" he yelled at Hexenwolf. Both boys simultaneously shot from the room and out of the building, pounding across the slippery ground toward the perimeter fence. Without hesitation they both vaulted over, the barbed wire useless against Limb's psionic hands and Hexenwolf's healing power. The moment they hit the grass on the other side they pelted forward and only then allowed themselves to peer backward. From inside the factory building, red lights were flashing through the windows. Klaxon warnings began to blare through the night air.

"_Amp, where are you? Something triggered, we've got retaliation coming our way," _Limb demanded.

"_We're about a mile out. I'm sending the prisoners on with Ballista leading them; the rest of us are circling back to help."_

"What about Tcelfer and Phoenix?" Hexenwolf yelled over the combined hair-raising orchestra of sirens, roaring wind, and thunderclaps.

Another familiar sound, barely to be heard in the cacophony, alerted them to Tcelfer's pending presence. Hexenwolf watched in amazement as the driving raindrops seemed to shimmer, before piece by piece Tcelfer's image appeared, running beside them. For a moment it was translucent, like light's reflection off rain creating a rainbow, and then he was there, solid and whole as he ran beside them.

"Phoenix sent me out!" Tcelfer yelled. "She should be along any minute now," he added, trying and failing to sound jovial.

They were suddenly bathed in light as a fiery comet went tumbling past through the air, hurtling out of control. The ball of light flew overhead and crashed over a hill.

"Phoenix," Hexenwolf heard Limb say with fear in his voice. They didn't get much time to worry, as their path was suddenly blocked. All three Seekers fell back as the two Sentinels landed in front of them.

"WHOA!" Tcelfer yelled, seizing onto Limb's shoulder. Using the reflective strip on his uniform, both boys melted through the path and reemerged through the raindrops a few hundred yards away. Hexenwolf shifted rapidly and shot away right before the cannon shot blew his flesh from his bones. The force sent him flying, but he rolled when he landed and was right back up on his feet.

"HEY!" a defiant voice yelled nearby. The Seeker boys turned to see the other half of their team charging forward. Static was out in front. Her eyes were glowing with power, and with a thrust of her hands two gigantic bolts of lightning shot out. They hit the Sentinels, causing the machines to rear back at the sudden power surge assaulting them. Lotusfire leapt into the air, shooting toward the machines. He released a fireball from his mouth, hitting one in the torso.

"We've got 'em pinned!" Static yelled triumphantly. A sudden deafening boom from a cannon blast slammed over them, as the shot barely missed Static. Nevertheless, she was sent flying back, collapsing to the ground dazed and singed.

"We're screwed, aren't we?!" Tcelfer yelled. At the moment, no one was about to contradict him.

* * *

The ground smoked a bit, a crater furrowed deeply into the turf. A groan sounded from inside the crater, as a dirt-covered Phoenix shifted back to awareness. She puffed out a harsh breath as pain throbbed from her lower chest. That last shot probably bruised a rib or two. Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear the sounds of her team beginning to fight.

Growling, Phoenix wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Okay, you've pissed me off. Now you're gonna get it."

* * *

"We have to hold them back!" Limb yelled. "The prisoners need time to escape!"

"Great, now how do we do that?" Static asked after staggering up, her eyes bleary.

"Any way you can!" Limb yelled, pulling out one of his larger guns. He aimed high and shot. The second machine groaned as one of the red fiberglass eyes shattered and went dark. Another great bolt of electricity surged toward the other robot.

Behind his defiant words, Limb was worried. These Sentinels weren't like anything he'd seen or experienced before. They were stronger, faster, and seemed to adapt to anything they threw at them. Lotusfire had come diving in again from above, trying to get another hit with his fire attack. Only his recent lessons with Phoenix saved him from being crushed from the air by a giant fist. Similarly, they began to expect Static's electric blasts, and either dodged them or shot at her, keeping her from taking her shot.

Their concentration was suddenly interrupted by the raptorial shriek that split the air as a streak of fire tore over them. It hit the Sentinel in front, bearing it backwards and slamming it into the second robot, sending them both falling backwards.

"Took her a little longer this time," Amp said sarcastically as Phoenix began to rain fire on the robots. This didn't last long though, as a plasma blast sent her swerving away.

Limb rallied the team again. Their major heavy hitter was back in play, so their chances were much better.

"Vary your attacks! These things adapt, so try to keep mixing it up."

The Seekers might not have been quite the hardcore warriors that the Outcasts probably were, but let nobody say they couldn't be creative. Tcelfer threw his reflective shields toward the Sentinels, and then had Lotusfire send his fireballs through companion portals, catching the Sentinels from unexpected angles. Static was in her element. As the storm raged, she seemed to find new depths of power within herself, knowing instinctively what to do. Instead of sending bolts from her hands, she guided the charges in the clouds over the Sentinels, smiting them from above like a demigod of ancient Greece, a daughter of Zeus. Hexenwolf charged in, drawing their fire and leaving the robots open to attacks. Limb and Amplitude ducked in and out of fire, taking whatever shots they could manage, searching out any weak spot.

Unfortunately, these Sentinels were not what they used to be years ago, when the original X-men and Brotherhood had fought the first of them in the streets of Bayville. These machines were designed to search and destroy even the deadliest mutants.

Limb got off two shots to a notch in the Sentinel's chest plate, sending sparks raining down. He had to move fast as the fire turned toward him, sprinting like mad for a small dirt hillock created by one of the plasma blasts. He fell behind it, like an army man behind a trench.

"_We need to pull out. This is getting too risky, they've adapted to too many of our attacks, we won't be able to keep them back much longer," _he thought to his team.

"_We can't let them go. They'll catch up with the prisoner mutants in minutes!" _Phoenix snarled back, diving under a fist and dodging a laser blast one after the other. She then dove in, pounding her fists rapidly into the robot's face, the crumpling metal shrieking in protest.

"_Someone's going to die if we don't get out of here or bring these things down now!"_

"_Then you all go! These things can smash me into the ground all they like, I'm not running away!" _she replied stubbornly.

Static suddenly called out through the link. _"I know I can get at least one down, just keep them busy long enough for me to gather up some power." _Her mental voice sounded sure, and they had few other options at the moment.

"_Everyone, keep them off Static!" _Limb sent out the order. He then leapt from behind the embankment and charged straight at the Sentinels. He weaved and dodged, keeping them from locking onto him. Chunks of ground blew up around him as the shots narrowly missed him, but he pushed on. Right between the Sentinel's legs.

The giant feet shifted. Limb dropped and slid, spinning about and charging the other way as the massive metal feet tried to crush him. The deadly dance lasted for a minute before Limb saw his opportunity. One foot barely missed him, and he was close enough to latch onto its leg. It was a herculean effort considering the stress he was under, but Limb managed to shape his left hand into a sharp, glowing blade. He shoved it with all his might through the armor of the beast.

The column of metal and mechanisms shuddered, causing Limb to cling tight. But even he couldn't hold when the leg suddenly pitched back in a lightning fast backwards kick, sending him flying. At this speed, impact would be at the least excruciating, at the worst, fatal. Oddly enough, the only thought going through his mind was frightened awe at how much more versatile these new machines were. The former models could have never managed a maneuver like what had just sent him on his impromptu flight.

Right before Limb expected a bone-breaking collision, a pair of strong sharp-nailed hands seized him under the shoulders. A dismayed roar came from Lotusfire, unprepared for the rapid weight-gain as he dove in to save his leader, and he flapped his wings desperately to regain air. It slowed their descent, but didn't stop them from hitting the ground in a tangle, rolling over the sodden grass and coming to a painful stop. Even with the rough landing, the dragon teen had saved them both from serious injury.

"Lotusfire," Limb hissed as he detangled himself from the mass of limbs, wings, and tail. He rolled the humanoid boy over. Chris's blue eyes fluttered, dazed but not quite out.

"_We're not going to hold." _The thought rang like a death knell in Limb's skull. Blood was dripping into his eye from a long cut on his forehead.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose, the drenched atmosphere suddenly super-charged. His head whipped about to see Static standing a few hundred feet off, feet planted apart and her face set in concentration. She raised her arms to the raging skies, her eyes glowing like miniature stars.

The clouds split open above her, pouring out lighting in dozens of crackling spears. Unlike regular lightning, these did not fade within a millisecond, but continued to feed power into Static, who was now a human-shaped column of pure electricity. The sight was so brilliant Limb couldn't continue to look without blinding himself. He screwed his eyes shut, but red still glowed through the lids. The ground trembled below him, heat rising to an almost unbearable degree, beginning to blister his skin. Then a powerful, synthesized scream erupted from Static's direction, and a roar ripped through the air before hitting its target.

If Sentinels could scream, this one did. The sounds of frying circuitry, shattering mainframes, and melting armor filled the air as the rumble of the Sentinel's final collapse once more shook the earth.

Limb cracked his eyes open. They grew a little wide as he saw how close the smoking, cracked skeleton of the machine had come to crushing himself and Lotusfire, who was just now coming back to full awareness. Just beyond the head of the ruined Sentinel, he could see Static prone on the ground, her costume charred but her body unharmed. The sky, apart from the rain, had gone silent, all of its electrical energy, for the moment, spent.

Limb panted, relief beginning to creep through his mind. He could see the other Seekers rising from where they had taken shelter, Phoenix drifting down out of the clouds. Amp sprinted over to Static, checking that she was alright.

Then their spirits dropped like stones as something massive shifted, and the second Sentinel stood once more, singed and partially damaged, but still very much alive. Lotusfire whimpered. Limb agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

Ballista charged as fast as she could against the rain and wind, her four paws pounding through the turf, water splashing all over her black muzzle. The cold, the wet, it didn't matter. She had sheltered the escaped mutants deep in a forest, in a kind of den burrowed beneath the roots of a great tree. Now she raced against the storm and time to get back to her teammates.

"_Kota, you get attached too much," _she berated herself in her head. It was true. Somehow she had grown attached to these people, despite her distance at the beginning. She had grown attached in Lincoln too. Now she was being pulled all over the place, in one direction trying to save her enslaved friends from their incarceration, and now trying to save the asses of these delusional, stupid, good people who would risk their lives for strangers like her. Over the howling of the storm she could hear the blasts of power and the mechanic growling of the Sentinels growing closer.

Blue-white light flashed over the rise ahead of her, followed by another great boom. _"Static," _she thought, and pushed on faster. She was almost there.

Ballista leapt over the rise to behold first a crumpled Sentinel husk lying on the ground. That was encouraging. Then she saw Static out cold, Limb and Lotusfire staggering sorely to their feet, and the rest of the exhausted team turning to face the remaining towering Sentinel. That was not encouraging.

"Oh crap," Ballista breathed, or as close as she could get to saying it out of a fanged muzzle. This was the first she'd seen of the new machines, and she was fighting to keep her bedraggled tail from tucking between her hind legs in fear. What was she supposed to do against _THAT?_

The cannon rose, firing instantly on Tcelfer, who had no time to run. As last resort he threw up a reflective shield in front of him. The blast shattered it instantly, throwing him back. He hit his head hard on the ground, slight armor and cushioning within his hat acting as a bit of a helmet. Nevertheless, the blow knocked him out.

Ballista didn't wait, throwing herself forward as the Sentinel prepared for a second shot. She saw Phoenix diving for the machine, throwing fireballs like mad having seen her teammate's plight, but in her desperation didn't see the other hand coming up as it grabbed her.

Ballista hit the ground and slid in the mud, shifting back to human as she did. She grabbed Tcelfer under the armpits and began to drag him away. She was taller than he was, but he had more muscle.

"Oh, COME ON!" she yelled in frustration as the plasma cannon glowed again in preparation to fire. Last ditch, with a mighty, muscle-shrieking effort, she threw Tcelfer over her shoulder and sprinted.

She was just looking back when the second blast picked them up off the ground and sent them spiraling like helpless, flimsy leaves through the air. It wasn't too high, but Ballista knew that her ribs were going to make her pay for this. But out of the price of pain, she unexpectedly bought them a chance.

The collision felt like being slammed into a brick wall by a car. All air rushed from her lungs and with it something a good deal more potent.

The giant, booming sound waves tore apart the grass and sent the very clouds careening away from their force. The blast pulled along a tsunami of turf and rock all directed, with all the luck in an unlucky world, toward the Sentinel. It didn't quite catch it dead center, but the sheer power that glanced against its already damaged right side tore the arm and shoulder of the robot clean off. The machine staggered back, for the moment stalled.

Ballista was semi-aware of her unexpected incredible feat, lying on the ground and struggling to catch her breath. A head of fiery hair suddenly swam above her before she was hauled up into a sitting position.

"Where the hell did _that _come from?" Phoenix asked, half angry and half exhilarated.

"Don't know," Ballista coughed in pain as she wobbled into a standing position. "Only used it once and forgot about it." The unexpected power display during her escape from Lincoln hadn't occurred to her in months.

"Well do it again and bring this thing down!" Phoenix yelled as the one-armed Sentinel began to approach, its great feet shaking the ground.

"It's not that simple," Ballista said wide-eyed as she reached down to pick Tcelfer up again. Phoenix yelled her reply as she helped.

"What do you mean not that simple?!"

"I can't really control it, I tried once or twice and I can't get it to work! That's half the reason I forgot it," she snapped back as the two girls shuffled back away from the nearing death machine, their male teammate like a man-sized doll dangling between them.

"Are you shitting me?!" Phoenix screeched as they broke into a backwards run. "I'm almost out of energy, everyone else is ready to drop, you have a weapon that can kill this thing and YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT?!"

"I'M SORRY YOU'RE HIGHNESS!" With death looming some few hundred feet over them, being backed up with an unconscious teammate between them, and things looking quite doomed, the petty screaming match was the only thing that made logical sense.

"It's because you try! Don't try, just do, let it loose!"

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!"

Phoenix sputtered as she tried to explain and scream petulantly at the same time. "It probably accesses by instinct; reach inside and try to access it through feeling, not thought!"

"SCREW YOUR JEDI FENG-SHUI CRAP, WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Ballista yelled as the cannon raised once more, dead-center on them.

Phoenix was not a thinker. She was a doer. Adversely, this trait gave her a certain lack of impulse control, which often got her into trouble, if only verbally with Limb most of the time. So it was often a welcome relief for her constantly stewing mental state when a bright idea for action synced up with a chance to appease her temperament, which was under some strain from the equally stubborn Ballista at the moment. So when the light bulb turned on in her brain, she didn't hesitate.

Ballista doubled up under Phoenix's harsh punch to her stomach, the breath rushing from her body for the second painful time in the last five minutes. Phoenix's hunch did not go unrewarded. The giant sound waves once again ripped up the landscape, this time in point-blank range of the Sentinel. Metal shrapnel and chunks of charred, damaged armor flew everywhere. Phoenix used the last of her energy as she swooped up both of her teammates and shot away as the beaten colossus began to fall. A great cloud of water and mud arced through the air as the mechanical corpse settled into the earth, the red eyes flickering momentarily before dying out for the last time.

Weary, Phoenix dropped toward the ground, letting her passengers down first before plopping down into the cool mud herself. She remained there, breathing deeply as the rain pattered down onto her aching, soaked body. She only let herself stay down for a second though, refusing to act like a wuss, no matter how tired she was.

Nearby, the other Seekers were beginning to approach, all of them water-logged, mud-coated, and exhausted. Limb, blood running down his face, allowed a slightly limping Lotusfire to lean on his shoulder, while Amp carried Static in his arms. The black-haired girl was beginning to stir and groan. Hexenwolf padded up out of the gloom, the only one of them that appeared unharmed and unwearied.

Ballista sat up, holding her tender abdomen. She glared viciously at Phoenix, before shaking her head.

"If that hadn't worked, I'd tear your throat out," she growled menacingly.

Phoenix shrugged insolently. "But it did, so I'll assume your thank you is implied." She smirked as Ballista began to growl in earnest, but held out her hand to help her up anyway. Ballista hesitated before she took it, but she accepted in the end. The moment Ballista was upright, their hands ripped apart and they refused to look at each other.

Tcelfer gave a groan as he came around, holding the back of his head and looking around blearily. "What happened? We won?" he slurred, eyeing the fallen Sentinels.

"Yeah," Ballista grunted, crossing her arms. "So much for not drawing attention to ourselves, huh?"

Limb nodded grimly. "Even so, we were lucky to all get out of that alive. I have to thank you for that Ballista," he said, smiling in gratitude.

"It wasn't totally voluntary, but you're welcome," she sighed back, casting another glare at Phoenix.

Phoenix wasn't paying attention. Her head had suddenly shot up, turned toward a swath of nearby trees. During the battle the Sentinels had begun to push them back and at an angle, skirting them around an outreaching arm of the forest on which the factory had bordered. The team fell silent as they watched her for a mere second, before she seemed to disappear, a flash of gold vanishing under the dark tree boughs. They could practically feel the anger and ferocity hanging in her wake. They began to run after her.

Phoenix crashed through the branches, following the mind she'd sensed; someone had been watching them. Suddenly she was on top of it, and in the dark slammed head-on into a sturdy body, sending them both tumbling down an embankment. The moment they hit the bottom she flipped on top, straddling the spy and withdrawing one of her daggers. In the dark she could not see what they looked like, but she knew where the throat was.

"Who are you?!" she spat, pressing the dagger in enough to draw a thin line of blood. Her eyes glowed menacingly, just barely lighting the face. Realization struck her like a cinderblock right before the voice spoke.

"Evangeline? What the hell?" snarled a gruff, deep voice that she had only heard once or twice before, years ago. Five years ago. She jumped away, almost falling over a tree root as she stared shocked, heart pounding, at the brawny, pointy-haired shape rising from the ground.

"Wolverine?"

* * *

"We've got the footage back sir," the technician said.

Pale eyes hidden by reflective glasses gleamed as dark, unclear footage streamed across the screens in front of him. It was rather indistinct, but the man saw all he needed to see.

"Some big fish indeed," he breathed in quiet pleasure as he watched a lithe shape soar through the air, fire wreathed around it. "The Sentinels did their jobs perfectly; we now know at least some of those we'll be dealing with. I suggest further increasing patrols. These mutants are only a few of many out there. Best to smoke out as many as we can. I have a feeling it won't be very hard," he smirked coldly.

* * *

_A/N: Am I leaving it there? Yes I am. Merry Christmas dear readers, may your holiday be blessed and full of joy :)_

_I'd like to thank _**Super garurumon, Arian Eripmav, KA, Stormplains, A Half-Empty Glass, TarjavsAnnette, James95, dawnoftheceruleansky, Rex123, **_and_** Wizard's Witch **_for their reviews. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year guys!_

_**Next Chapter: **__You'll see…_


	15. Stirred to Action

**X2: Survivors**

_Hysterical giggling filled the room, along with deeper, clearer laughs of enjoyment._

"_Trish, stop it!"_

"_NEVAH! You shall never escape from the tickle monster!"_

"_Ha-ha…ha…"_

"_Genie?"_

"_Gina? Gina, wake up!"_

"_I am awake."_

"_Ohh, don't you scare me like that, you little rugrat!"_

_._

_._

"_Trish, look!"_

"_Gina… how are you doing that?"_

"_I don't know! Look, it's pretty blue now!"_

"_Gina, Trisha, we're home."_

…

"_AAHHH!"_

"_No, GINA!"_

"No!" Trish gasped as she jolted awake, panting and bleary-eyed. She sat up abruptly and stared vacantly at the opposite wall before curling inward. Her fist struck the mattress.

"Dammit, let me sleep, will you?!" Her yell choked off before the first word was out, culminating in a rather pathetic-sounding sob. Trish wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees.

Nearly six months here in Boston, passing the winter, spring, and now into summer in her home city and the memory dreams just kept getting worse. She wiped away the damp spots at the corners of her eyes, angry with herself. She was doing everything she could for her sister, but the guilt was still clawing at her as if it was only a day later since Gina had been taken away.

Trish glanced around, her vision blurry without her glasses on. The apartment the Coverts had found for her was small; the sleeping area was barely separated from the miniscule living room and connected kitchen. The walls were white and blank, and she hadn't felt the need to change that. She looked at the red numbers on her bedside clock. 5:24 AM. Despite the early hour, she could see a hint of sunrise out of her narrow window.

Trish knew she wasn't going back to sleep. Whenever she tried after the sleeping flashbacks she would just get teary-eyed. Throwing off the covers, she shivered her way to her tiny closet, dressed only in a t-shirt and white underwear. A coat, jeans, and a long-sleeve flew on and she was out the door before the half-hour beep managed to sound on her clock.

It was much easier to go on early morning walks in the city rather than at night. Jobs that started early permitted people to be out and about on the streets at least an hour before the sun rose. Air patrols still passed over, but by that time they were more for the sake of procedure than actually searching out trouble.

Trish wandered through the North End of Boston. It was filled with old buildings and historical architecture. Her own apartment, which was on the edge of the neighborhood, was an old construct that had been remade into an apartment for a few renters; a rather ugly place, but cheap, and it was right at the entrance to one of the prettier sections of the city. This morning though, Trish kept her head down and shuffled along, not wanting to see the historical landmarks that her family had taken trips to when she was younger. Her hunched figure was a rather depressing sight, meandering through the predawn-dark streets, hands stuffed deep into her pockets and her eyes on her shoes.

Just as the sky was turning milky, she took a seat on a short brick wall bordering one of the old house's gardens. She sighed, scowling to herself. She was determined to get her sister back, but she was positive that the Covert lifestyle wasn't for her. She might be more of a strategist type, but she had never considered herself an actress. Trish marveled almost daily how the Coverts did it, acting normal every day only to revert to super-spies at night. At this point Trish was just glad it was in her nature to be a quiet person; she couldn't handle being false at all times.

Now that her mind wandered that way, Trish dug into her pocket and removed the touchscreen phone. Turning it on, she went through a long-winded access process through many different apps, until a blank black screen and a white passcode box appeared. She typed in the eight digits, shaking her head at the crazy but necessary precautions Mainframe took to keep information secret.

Text and pictures popped up: Gina's file. She scanned through it again, as if it would reveal anything new. Sadly, even with the force of her conviction trying to burn a hole in the screen, Trish could glean nothing helpful that could bring her closer to her goal. The last they had been able to get on her sister was tagging one of the camp transport trucks she was on, nearly three months ago. Unfortunately, the shuffling system for camps, transport, and prisoners was still a jumbled mess to the Coverts, and they had lost track of her on the next move. Trish shut the device off, frustration tempting her to throw it away.

She checked her watch. Her job started at seven, so she'd better leave now. She hopped off the wall and loped back in the direction she'd come.

The diner where she worked was small and unassuming, which pleased Trish. It was a pleasant enough place to work, and it was easy to keep up her false image. The moment she was in the back room she threw her coat off, leaving her black shirt and jeans. She pinned her nametag on and pulled her hair back.

"Yo Tina! Got some customers already and Claire ain't here yet!" yelled a gruff voice from the kitchen.

"Got it Jerry," she called back to the yowling cook, grabbing a notepad and pencil. Claire Derkins often wasn't here on time, but Trish, alias Tina Welsh, was more than willing to pick up the slack.

The day started slowly as always, picking up around breakfast as most people ran in for their In & Out Quik Coffee deal. Around the same time was when Claire would drift in, punk hair nodding along with her iPod and her grape gum popping away as always. Claire was another reason Trish enjoyed this job so much; she could swear Claire hadn't said a word to her since Trish's first day here. A simple acknowledgement at the beginning and end of the day was enough for them both.

Trish wiped her forehead. The manager liked to skimp a bit on the bills, so around late morning and noon it would get warm without the AC.

"Tina!"

Her head shot up as said manager called to her where she was delivering Jerry the next order. Her manager nodded back out to the dining area.

"One more table and then you're on break. See you at dinner service." She nodded in reply, and grabbing her notepad again, headed out. At this point the diner was sparse of customers, the busy workday calling them away. There were only a few people at the bar, and one seated at a window booth. The occupant was familiar.

Trish had gotten used to not showing any signs of familiarity over the last few months, so she strode up to the customer with ease.

"What can I get for you today?" she said with a small but pleasant smile. Her gaze stabbed into him.

The blonde young man drummed his hands on the tabletop as he looked up at her. His face, almost normal, was bright and his smile strangely wide.

"Ooh, loaded question," he said with a crooked smirk. "Or, did you mean food?"

"_Great, he's getting theatrical again," _Trish thought with an inward cringe, but she allowed herself to smile bashfully.

"Um…uh okay, uh, yeah. The food I mean," she stuttered in what she hoped was a flattered manner.

"Just some coffee," he said; his smile was unmoving. "As for what else I want, would you say no to getting me your number?" He winked charmingly. It was quite a performance, but Trish could see the same cold expression in his eyes.

"No, not at all," she said eagerly and rushed off. His coffee was delivered rapidly and he finished it just as fast. Beside his cup was a piece of notepaper with her phone number on it. He eyed her keenly before scrawling down another number on it, ripping the paper in half, and giving her the piece that had his number. He then left.

"I'm clocking out!" she yelled to her fellow workers, shrugging her coat back on. She waited until she was on the outside to look at the paper.

_392-1230 _

It was deceptive to the uninitiated. The first three numbers were code for a certain street name, and the last four meant time. Trish thought for a few moments, trying to recall which street was encoded three-nine-two. She set off walking.

When she reached the specified street, she peered around. Contrary to what she'd previously thought when she'd first joined, she would not find him skulking down an alley or crouched on a rooftop.

She found him peering into the window of an electronic store, making stupid faces at himself in the many TV screens that displayed his image.

"Cute," Trish said as she came up beside him. Colin stood up straight, the goofy grin dropping away for an instant before fixing itself. His face lacked its usual large scar. Trish wondered if it was makeup or image inducer today.

"Show the world a fool, they'll see nothing but the fool," he said casually with a shrug. They turned down the sidewalk and began striding along, just like two friends on a walk.

"Who said that?" Trish asked.

"Me," he said with a cold smirk.

"And Harry Potter apparently," she snorted at the familiar wordplay.

"What? I can make quotes too," he said huffily. It sounded forced, as always. They could have continued the banter, but Trish was still in a rather dark mood from her unpleasant wakeup, and had less patience today.

"So why were you there this morning? You know the boss doesn't like our wires crossing," she said vaguely. She glanced around. No one was within ten yards of them.

"Passing a message along." Trish's heart leapt for a moment before he shook his head. It sank just as quickly. "Sorry, none of that. The boss just wants to make sure you'll be at your computer tonight. He's got some info he's sending out to everyone that he wants us all to see, and pronto."

"And he couldn't have e-mailed this, why?" she snapped a little. It wasn't like Colin would care if she got snippy.

Colin swept his eyes around again, his thin, blue eyes sharp. "Some internal security problems." He waved off Trish's paling face. "Nothing bad, just something he's been trying to fix for a day or two. It should be clean by tonight. I've been running up and down the city spreading it around," he grumbled, sounding mightily displeased.

"Okay," Trish muttered, trying to ignore the slight quaking in her knees.

Colin seemed to notice. "Relax. It's nothing bad."

"Yeah, I know. I'm fine," she said. She scrambled for a change of subject. "What about the other project? The one from winter?"

Colin shrugged. "Our nerds have been busting their asses getting it solved, but it's extremely encoded, from what I can understand. But… the boss's thinking your theory might be right," he said, a tremble of fury barely contained in his voice. His fists clenched, but beyond that, he gave no sign of his emotions.

Trish swallowed angrily. This is what she really hated about the Covert job; everything had to be kept inside, everything was held back. She wasn't an extreme person emotionally, but even she could barely contain her anger.

"That's it I guess," Colin said abruptly. Trish started a bit, but then nodded.

"I'd better get some lunch then, take a break before I have to go back for the dinner shift," she said.

"I've got one more stop," Colin grunted. "See you around." He set off at a brisker pace, soon leaving her behind as he darted over the crosswalk and turned left on the next street.

"Yeah, see ya," Trish said quietly to herself before heading for the nearest café.

Colin, meanwhile, set off at his usual messenger boy pace, between a speed walk and a jog. Contrary to his griping, he loved wandering the streets. It gave a sense of independence and pursuing goals that he would admit was hard to live without. His powers, unlike most of the other Coverts, didn't help him much when it came to espionage or break-ins, and he was more a right-brain than a left-brain. The streets were where he was most comfortable.

Despite his dislike of public transportation, Colin knew good speed was part of doing his job well, so he swallowed his wariness and hopped a few buses, riding southwest and out of the main city into the nicer neighborhoods.

Once into Brookline, Colin set off on foot once more, strolling casually along as if he owned the area. He entered the neighborhood of Fisher Hill, where the concrete and asphalt had long since given way to soft green lawns, sheltering trees, and a quiet atmosphere. The houses were rambling and sophisticated in the old-fashioned style. The place reeked of normal living, of well-off families and routines, and the kind of careless day-to-day life that he had never known, not even before the country's fall. It left a bitter taste in his mouth to see these houses still standing as if nothing bad had ever happened. If the world showed any semblance of fairness, these houses would be charred skeletons, uninhabitable, with their occupants tossed out to share the suffering of their fellow man.

However, pondering the unfairness of life was not why he'd come here. Colin checked the directions on his phone again. He was close. Peering subtly around to make sure that no one was near, he walked off into a border of trees that separated two properties. He crouched among the shadows and pulled up the right sleeve of his shirt to expose his upper arm. Plastered there was what looked like a large Band-Aid, flesh-colored and inconspicuous. With a slight wince, he peeled it back to expose not the padded underside, but a sheet of circuitry, no thicker than a sheet of paper. Using his left hand, he dragged his finger over the surface, causing the technology to light up in response. Colin's form flickered before it began to change in appearance; not majorly, but eliminating his most significant features. His hair darkened to a russet brown and it lengthened a bit. His narrow face widened, and his eyes went from pale blue to a yellowish hazel.

Satisfied, he put the disguised image inducer back in its place and stood, moving stealthily through the cluster of trees. His directions said that his destination should be on the other side of a short rise.

Sure enough, a white-washed fence greeted him. He peeped over to observe a spacious back lawn behind a wide house. He scanned about, his keen eyes easily catching the cameras pointed at the back door and lawn. Colin rolled his eyes, almost insulted. He ducked down again, moving right along the fence until he came to a fir tree that closely bordered the house outside the perimeter. Its branches shot out from the trunk at almost ground level, and the entire thing was at least fifteen feet higher than the house's roof.

Colin began to scale up the branches, keeping himself on the opposite side of the house. Once on level with the roof and out of the cameras' ranges, he scanned the area. The house was large; in his opinion, too large for only the single occupant that owned it. The front lawn was longer than the backyard, and extended down a slope to the street, which was half-hidden by a border of leafy trees. The driveway went up to the house and made a circle around a stone fountain. The place looked empty, which it was. The owner was busy at work, and the house was sheltered enough that it was doubtful anyone would notice anything unusual here.

Colin smirked, slipping on a pair of black gloves before he crept down a large branch toward the house. With an agile leap, he sailed over the short space and landed with a muted thud on the sloping roof. He struggled to catch his balance, and then crawled up to an upper window. He checked carefully, looking for an alarm. There was none.

The window slid up noiselessly, allowing the lanky figure to slide into the spacious bathroom with ease. He straightened up and strolled into the house, peering around.

Raquelle had given him a photo of what she wanted him to retrieve, but the object was small and he wasn't totally sure where it was. He checked through the master bedroom first, rifling through the drawers while making sure to return everything to its exact place. He couldn't find it upstairs, so he descended to the ground floor by way of a large staircase. The entryway was high ceilinged, and even had a chandelier. Colin stared about with a scowl on his face. The most he had ever known by way of housing was a small apartment at best. He knew how to survive, to deal with his situation no matter how bleak, but this kind of wealth made him both uncomfortable and bitter.

The study yielded nothing, as did the guest room. He entered the kitchen and adjoining living room, a monochromatic show of opulence: silver and black appliances, red wood cabinets, and white couches decorated with red and black pillows.

It was only after a thorough scan, and after Colin had begun to believe that his objective wasn't here, that he found it under a stack of papers and files laid messily on the living room coffee table: a silver ring with some fancy symbol and inscription stamped on it, probably won at a business school. The thief smiled as he retrieved it and pocketed it. Time to split. He stood and moved back toward the staircase. He paused, before opening the fridge and snatching an apple. Colin then made his exit through the same way he'd come, heading back to the city proper, munching the apple in satisfaction.

* * *

_Meanwhile, somewhere in Arizona…_

The Outcasts had dedicated their very existence to preparing for war. Every day it was training, or recruiting. Until recently, their strikes against their oppressors had been little more than skirmishes to be brushed aside by the opposition, but Lincoln had started the escalation. Now was the time they had been waiting for, and their force rose to the challenge with all the conviction they could muster.

It had only been the previous day that Phalanx had called the colony together, announcing that they were to begin preparing; for war, for invasion, for victory, which of these they did not know yet. All they knew was that the time to rise up was approaching fast.

Magdalena stood waiting for her orders amongst a group of other mutants. They were deeper into the caves than she had ever been; the sun-dappled chambers had been left behind for greater caverns, with tall ceilings, precarious drops, and darkness clinging in the corners. This particular cave was filled with the sound of rushing water, as the underground river that trickled through the camp's main chamber widened and rushed deeper into the earth. Until now this cavern had lain relatively untouched. Now, as they prepped for war, the Outcast leaders had outlined their plans for the extensive underground tunnels and caves.

Sonata stood at the edge of the river banks. The black water slid noisily past.

"This is probably the best spot we'll find," she said, turning to her working crew. "If this place is going to function at all as a war base and not just shelter anymore, we'll need energy." She turned to the tall, dark figure in the back of the group. "Scream, you and I are going to hold back the water. Tumbler," she nodded to tan-skinned girl, "you need to set up the barrier."

Both her selected workers nodded, and the trio stepped forward, Scream in the lead. The group watched as the young man stepped up to the river bank, sight focused on the water. He inhaled a deep breath, before letting a roar of sound escape his throat. Tik Tok clapped her hands to her ears, flinching as the powerful sound boomed around the cavern. The ground shook just a little. The sound waves collided with the water, pushing the flow back and separating the stream.

The sonic scream would only have withheld the water for a few seconds, or as long as Scream could keep it up, but it was Sonata's job to maintain the hold. She held out both her hands, and the sound waves froze. They still pulsed, the sound continuing to echo loudly through the cave, but they were held in place, keeping the water back.

Sonata grunted, her brow furrowing in concentration and her fingers curling a little into her palms. "Tumbler, make the blockade while I hold them." She growled again; her ability to manipulate and control sound was substantial, but Scream's powerful blasts were challenging even for her.

Tumbler stood forward, also raising her hands. The floor shook again. Stalactites crumbled, and great boulders resting in the corners of the cave rolled toward them. The watching group stepped back out of their paths. One by one, the stones tumbled into the empty half of the river bed, landing with great squelches in the black mud. The wall of rock steadily built up until it rose to the river banks.

"Sunstrike, weld it up tight," Sonata hissed.

A black boy jumped forward. Beams of molten energy shot from his arms, beginning to melt the rock wall into one, solid blockade.

"Alright," Sonata breathed as she released her hold. The tide washed against the hastily made wall. She turned to them. "That should hold back the flow for a few hours; we need to start making the tunnels and the dam proper, before the water breaks through. Tik Tok, start tunneling in on the left side; Tumbler's got the right."

Magdalena nodded, jumping down into the river bed. It would have been risking a broken ankle or worse for anyone else. As she landed, Lena allowed energy to flow through her body and into her legs. The explosive power shattered the slippery rocks into gravel, leaving her with only a few cuts from the flying fragments.

Lena ran her hands over the damp walls on the left. She smiled a bit, before drawing back and punching the rock. A small explosion blew apart the rocks, leaving a large dent in the wall. Kicking inward with her hands and feet, Tik Tok began to burrow her way into the rock.

The team worked tirelessly for hours. Tik Tok shook out her muddy hair, panting with exertion. Her knees were shaking with lack of energy.

"Tik Tok, come on out! We're breaking the tunnel barriers!"

Her head shot up at Sonata's voice, before doubling back out of her second completed tunnel. The rest of the team was backing away from their work, either in the tunnels or on a second, temporary blockade. Tiredly, Tik Tok clambered up from the river bank. Sonata smiled at her.

"We'll be able to let the current out through the tunnels on the other side of the second blockade now," their leader said to the rest of the team as they assembled. "Next we have to get the actual dam up, and our raiders should be able to get us what we need for a turbine. Go and eat; you guys did good."

Sighs of relief escaped the group as they dispersed, heading back to the upper chambers. The moment they could see sunlight coming through the gaps in the ceiling, they split off toward a large assembly of the colony where food was being passed out in rations. Most of them grouped together, talking and eating together. Magdalena, however, took her place away from most of the others. In the several months she'd been here, she hadn't really connected with anyone. Functioning among the team was one thing; when it came to bonds or friendships, she was uncomfortable around strangers, and none of the others had made an effort to include her. So she often sat alone, content but not happy, or if she was in a group she never spoke.

Magdalena sat down in the sandpit, digging into the platter of beans and cold corn. For a few minutes she remained in solitude, eating quietly, but in such a crowded space, no matter how big, she was bound to have company.

"You mind if we sit?" Her head darted up, beholding Cornelius, the Hive boy, and the newcomer Casey Williams. Casey had been the one to speak. She debated saying no, but his friendly face put her more at ease than she normally was around strangers. She nodded, and the two boys sat. Lena may have been alright with Casey, but she couldn't help being wary of Cornelius. She felt a twinge of guilt as she shifted away slightly. He either didn't notice, or didn't care. They set about eating.

"I'm Casey," he introduced himself politely after a minute. "What's your name?"

"Magdalena," she replied rather stiffly.

Casey bit his lip a bit at the awkward silence that had descended, but he rapidly shrugged it off, turning instead to Cornelius. "So after lunch, what are you working on?"

Hive raised and dropped his narrow shoulders. "Whatever Phalanx or Sonata needs me to do. I'm senior team, but I'm not one for ordering others around outside of battles. What about you? You seem willing to help, but you also have doubts about staying with us?"

Casey twitched, his dark eyes flashing with a slightly wilder light. "Typically, I don't really do violence. I guess it's necessary a lot now, but I still don't enjoy it. Not really," he said almost defensively.

This explanation seemed to have been forgotten, as several minutes passed with more light conversation between the two. However, it was brought back into glaring question when a sudden loud bang echoed through the atrium cave. It was little more than a power discharge by one of the more careless mutants, but the loud noise was almost deafening as it echoed around.

Magdalena barely saw him move. One minute Casey was sitting, casually talking to Hive, and the next he was on his feet, low in a crouch. She jumped back as a powerful snarl ran through his whole being, almost shaking the sand below her. A deadly ringing made its own echoes as six long, gleaming lengths appeared from nowhere and were brandished violently. Lena stared, awed and frightened, at the quivering body as it seemed in the pre-throes of lunging for its prey. Casey's face, so kindly just seconds ago, was twisted awfully; sharp canine teeth were bared, and despite the narrowed lids, she could see that the pupils of his eyes had inflated, making the warm brown color turn to charcoal-black.

The vicious growling halted all conversation near them, everyone turning in either fear or hostility to this sudden and unexpected threat. The moment their eyes locked on the feral Casey though, they bugged in disbelief. They were no longer concentrating on the threat, but rather the metal claws that caught the rays of sun and shone like beacons.

Slowly, as no hostile intent showed itself, Casey began to calm. His face went from wild, to embarrassed and ashamed. He hunched inward under their gaping stares, like a puppy that had just been struck with a rolled-up newspaper. He glanced at Cornelius and Lena, who were also staring, but with less gawking insensitivity, and he shot them an apologetic grimace.

"I'm sorry. I…I haven't really gotten the hang of that yet. I'll…just…go." Like the wary animal he looked, he backed out of the atrium through one of the side tunnels, disappearing into the darkness as he fled the scene.

Lena leaned forward a bit, trying to catch one last glimpse of him, but couldn't. Her mind was focused on the image of his wild side, and most especially those claws. They were famous, after all.

"We shouldn't stare," said a semi-stern voice at her side. She flinched away, not realizing that she'd drawn close to Cornelius. His head wasn't facing her, but his black, many-faceted eyes could probably see her even if his back was turned to her. He caught her rearing away, and turned to face her, his pupil-less gaze causing knots to curl in her stomach. "Whatever's been done to him, or whoever he resembles, he's just like the rest of us: scared, confused, and looking for a place in the world."

Lena stilled, nodding faintly. Contrary to his outward repellency, she did find Cornelius interesting to talk to; from a distance at least. He was fairly intelligent, and one of the few that indulged her perpetually questioning nature. Out of the few people she had ever really talked to, Hive was the one that caused her the least discomfort, again, through his words if not his looks. The little stab of guilt returned.

"I am sorry," she said abruptly in a muffled voice. He had turned away in the conversation pause, but her words called his gaze back.

"There's no need to be," he said, instantly understanding her meaning. "It's a natural reaction. Mutation, supposedly, is human evolution, and evolution in any living specimen is meant to strengthen the organism to better survive in changing environments, even if it develops its drawbacks, or doesn't work at all. My appearance drives away threats. Sadly, that's not all it drives off," he said indifferently.

"It is not right," Magdalena said firmly, self-displeasure creeping into her tone. "We are both mutants; we should not be afraid of each other."

"Morals can't always overrule instinct," Cornelius said, sounding like a college professor. "I've learned to adapt, and to not blame people for how they react. We're only human, after all."

"Hardly," Magdalena suddenly snarled. "Humanity turned their backs on us."

"Not all of humanity," Cornelius said quietly. "A lot of mutants tend to forget that; tend to forget they had family members or friends that were humans."

"Does that really make any difference?" Lena muttered darkly, recalling her own father's betrayal.

"For some," he replied. "My parents were human, and they cared for me. In the end, that couldn't protect me, but even if it had, I wouldn't have stayed with them."

"Why not?" She was baffled. If he had family (one that actually loved him), why was he suffering out here on Hell's frontier with the rest of the orphaned and ostracized?

"Because I was needed out here," he said grimly. "I may not say all of humanity is to blame for this, but thousands of wrongs are being committed against our kind every day. Casey is probably the most glaring example here. There are humans that have to pay for their crimes, and I want to make sure that justice is served," he hissed. The buzzing that constantly surrounded him grew louder, agitated. Magdalena felt the compulsion to pull away again, but this time she didn't.

Scream was sitting nearby, his meal mostly untouched in front of him. The reasons for this were that at first, he had been talking to Shazma, who sat across from him. As two wanderers who had few connections here aside from the leaders and senior team, it was often customary when they were both here. Then, after Casey's show of instinctive rage, they had tuned in a little to the conversation Cornelius and Magdalena were holding. Scream's face, upon hearing Hive swear his vengeance, broke into a dark grin of pleasure. Shazma, going by the codename Flash, sent her companion a keen stare.

"I see you haven't much changed," she said blankly. He turned to her, cocking his head arrogantly to the side and giving her the _'oh really' _eyebrow. She waved him off. "Yeah, not like I really expected anything different from you. Still bloodthirsty as always." His mouth turned down and his eyes narrowed.

"What?" she questioned irritably. He turned up his nose, giving her an imperious, self-righteous stare. He then pointed at her, before drawing a large S in the sand with his finger. Flash glared at him.

"I do not sound like the Seekers, the self-important tightwads," she scoffed. "Just because your constant need for destruction escapes me, it doesn't mean I'm floating up in the clouds with those air-headed idealists."

His only response was to stare at her with mocking indulgence, as if he was allowing a small child to wear itself out with its petty tantrum. Flash huffed and crossed her arms.

"I want justice too," she growled deeply. "Too much has been taken from me to just lie down quietly. This is the only way that makes sense; the Seekers may help people, but it hardly makes any difference in the long run, and the Coverts' quest is just as pointless in my opinion. But just because I want justice doesn't mean I'm looking forward to war just for the sake of violence and vengeance, unlike you and James, and a lot of the others. For your information, I fight alongside you people for the sake of all mutants, not just my own gratification. Now if you don't mind," she hissed, standing abruptly, "I'm going to see if Sonata needs my help with anything." She stalked off, reaching the tunnels before slowing down. She rolled her eyes and grumbled at herself internally.

"_How the hell can he piss me off when he can't talk? I can't believe I stomped away from a one-sided conversation. Ugh, that boy_!" With that, she continued her angry march, almost sure now that Scream would be silently laughing at her expense behind her.

* * *

_Boston – Same Day_

Long fingers flew over a keyboard. Alexandria Choi rubbed at her dry eyes, trying to keep her eyes on the screen. As an undergraduate research assistant, her supervisor was often hovering over her, making sure she didn't screw things up among her more experienced and educated colleagues. She often pushed herself to longer hours and harder work to make sure she proved her worth here. It was hard enough getting this job as it was. Finally unable to keep her gaze on her work, Alex sat back, letting her eyes rest.

She stretched as much as she could in the small cubicle. She longed to be out of her stiff pants and white button shirt and in her _other _work suit instead. She stared wistfully at the warm sunlight streaming in through the windows. Outside was the world she was familiar with; she may be adept at blending in with her looks and smarts, but she was a street kid at heart. Her fingers itched, and she wondered if she might be able to pick some pockets later. Years and many miles separated her from her past in Hong Kong as an orphaned child doing what she could to survive, but her thief's spirit had never died. She just channeled it into a higher cause.

Alex fiddled with the watch on her wrist. Believe it or not, it was what had brought her to America in the first place. She wondered if her life might have been easier had she not decided to come here. Looking down, she flipped the clock face over to see the silver backside. Inscribed on it were three letters – _C.F.X._ – in elegant script.

She remembered seeing him for the first time, at a public symposium back in Hong Kong. At the time, at the age of twelve, almost thirteen, she really hadn't cared much what he'd been talking about. All she had seen was someone of reasonable wealth that wouldn't be able to chase her. She had followed him about, wondering how best to make her move. She had relieved valuables from disabled people before; it was best to strike in the middle of the crowd. But as she'd moved toward him, he'd turned toward her, looking her right in the eye. She had felt him in her mind, knowing perfectly well what she'd intended to do.

He hadn't been angry though. He'd told her it was alright. She had been so shocked that she had almost dropped the watch when he'd tossed it to her. Charles Xavier had then disappeared in the crowd, leaving her standing in bewilderment, and gratitude.

She'd kept the watch, instead of selling it as she'd intended. Upon catching the thing, her mutant powers had activated. As a psychometric mutant, Alex could see many things when she touched objects, things about people that the objects came into contact with, or had owned them. She saw the mind of Charles Xavier that day: his charity, his wisdom, how much he wished to help people like her. It had intrigued her so deeply that she sought to make it to America, hoping to find the Professor and his school. She'd barely made it to America, by no easy means, when it all came crashing down. For Alex it was second nature, to flee and survive, but it was a bitter blow after all the hope she'd harbored for a better life. But those hopes turned to conviction when she'd first met the X2 teams; life wasn't worth living without purpose, and it was a purpose she felt compelled to follow.

Her musing of the past was interrupted when an envelope was dropped on her desk by a coworker. She quickly dropped her fingers from the watch, sitting up straight. It looked like a bill envelope, but she saw a pale stamp on the back corner, a black C. She peered around to make sure no one was in line of sight, before opening it. Something silver dropped into her lap, as well as a small card. The card read _'You're welcome.'_

Alex allowed herself a small smile as she slipped the ring into her pocket. Colin never failed to deliver. Now she was even more eager to leave, to get home and glean what little information she could from the object. However, running out of work in the middle of the day with no explainable reason was unacceptable. So, cracking her knuckles, she turned back to her work, determined to finish as fast as possible and get home. She wanted to have whatever information she could get before the info-exchange that was taking place tonight via encrypted e-mails.

The hands on the plain white clock on the wall couldn't have moved slower if time had literally stopped. She tried not to keep glancing at it, determined just to finish her work. The hours dragged miserably, until at last she glanced up at the clock and found to her relief that it was now appropriate to clock out. She gathered her things, making sure to keep everything casual and relaxed, and strode out of the building. She was relieved to not be accosted by that toad Brian again; she just didn't have the patience today, no matter how cool she appeared on the outside.

She buzzed home on her Vespa, hurrying up the stairs and into her room, collapsing on her small couch in relief. It was a fairly nice apartment, in her opinion. She was lucky to have a place so decent. She knew at least half the other Coverts lived in at most passable living spaces, and at the worst in little better than rat holes. It was hard enough finding living quarters at their barely passable ages, so quality wasn't high priority in most instances. The state of the country somewhat helped the Coverts in fitting in. During the first months of… the situation, a lot had been lost or destroyed, people's lives as well as many material things. Many children had been separated from family, or orphaned, and the country couldn't put priority on things like adoption and foster homes. Emancipation for capable minors had skyrocketed as a result, in an effort to allow older siblings to hold onto any younger family they had left, or to just get more of a large issue resolved to make things easier. It certainly helped those like Raquelle, or Trisha, who were not yet eighteen.

Alex, after a brief rest after her long workday, double-checked to make sure her door was locked, and closed the blinds. She then retook her seat, pulling the stolen ring from her pocket. She stared at it for a moment, before closing her eyes and concentrating.

Vague images through a tunnel view began to appear behind her closed eyelids. She focused harder, trying to bring them into better clarity. Garbled sounds changed to recognizable sounds: a door closing, water trickling, voices talking.

She could see Genesis's CEO; she was looking up at him. He looked huge, but as she was getting these visions from a ring, the perception would obviously be odd. She could hear him speaking now.

"_A merger would be the only option to push the research through. Genesis may be among the top scientific research divisions still functioning, but the new products can't be developed on our current funds, and with our lack of proper facilities."_

"Nothing here," Alex muttered to herself, pushing aside this vision and bringing up another, shifting through all the information the object possessed on the man, trying to find something that would lead her to some answers, either on the cure to the toxin, or to the classified files Replica had retrieved. For long, dragging minutes she perused the 'memories' of the ring, until at last she stumbled on something that might be what she sought. She could see the CEO at his desk, looking harried as he shuffled through mountains of paper. Suddenly the phone rang, causing him to jump a bit. He stared at it warily as it rang a second time, before picking it up.

"_Hanson," _he answered stiffly. Alex could only hear indistinct chatter on the other end of the line, but the CEO nodded compliantly.

"_Yes sir, of course. We've made progress." _A brief pause ensued. _"No sir, not yet. I meant we've made progress in the research field. My scientists are working their hardest; it's an incredibly complex project. Before Year One we were still making new discoveries in decoding human DNA; the DNA of mutants is so much more intricate, at least in its variety."_

Alex could feel her body stiffening as she listened. She watched the CEO mirror the reaction, his one of simple frustration rather than rising anger. _"Sir, we need to understand what we're working with before we can get you the results you want. Any sooner and we'll just be wasting test subjects." _Another pause. _"The mutants you specifically wanted tested? Well, they're a handful for my scientists. It's bad enough that their genetic codes are some of the most difficult to decipher and break down, but a couple of them like to kick up a fuss. However, we have managed one successful splice on first attempt. Unfortunately, the mutant isn't completely undamaged, but we've made a great leap in progress. We should be making much better time on the project deadlines soon enough. Yes, our progress report will be wired within the week. Goodbye sir." _The phone clicked down on the receiver.

Alex breathed deep, retreating from the vision for a brief rest. An ache had built behind her eyes, and she rubbed her hands into them, trying to ease the pain. Concentrating so hard always gave her headaches, but in this case, the pain took second place to anger. Phrases like "successful splice" and "not completely undamaged" kept floating in her brain. Somewhere, people like her were suffering at the hands of this sick, twisted science experiment. Glaring, she seized the ring again and dove back into the visions.

She uncovered several more of these phone conversations, but even though the CEO wasn't wary enough to keep his calls off his office phone, he was either smart enough or lucky enough to always be vague. She got no locations, dates, or names from him; just more reporting similar to the first conversation. Occasionally, she caught glimpses of e-mails like the one Replica had found, ordering certain actions in vague, short sentences.

At last, Alex dropped the ring to her coffee table, massaging her temples furiously. It felt like a jackhammer was being drilled through her forehead now. She staggered into the bathroom for an aspirin. One thing was for sure, she wasn't doing anymore vision-delving tonight. She wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water, mentally going over the information she'd gained to retell tonight at their cyber meeting.

Sitting down and watching a movie was the only thing she could think of to pass the time, but throughout the film, which bugged her to no end with its normality when it managed to catch her attention, she couldn't stop glancing at the clock to when she would receive the first e-mail.

At last, her phone blinked on. She seized it, the text message displaying the code of incoming encrypted message. She switched from her couch to her computer chair and began opening the message. Once cleared through the numerous safety measures, she stared at the e-mail. The jumble of letters, numbers, symbols, and nonsensical words looked like spam mail, or a prank, but if one studied the code religiously, as all members were required to do, it was simply like reading a different language that you understood.

**Lupus report. Greater Sentinel movements in outer regions. Sentinel upgrade 4.0. Divergence from standard routes. Increase in mutant capture 7%. **

Alex's eyes widened. Only on rare occasions had the Sentinel patrol routes changed, and that was usually in the event that there was a known location where a group of mutants were staying. Otherwise, they stayed on the specified circuits. Wandering too far out usually meant that they would be destroyed by outsider mutants, taking advantage of the fact that the machine was too far from back-up. A complete divergence from the normal routes, with another upgrade to boot, meant something big had happened. Her fingers flew to the keyboard, typing in her response.

**Cause?**

The reply read: **Unsure. Government keeping it quiet. **

Another message came in. By the identification code, it was Pause.

**Alert S and O?**

Replica answered. **S are aware. S currently in action. O are most likely aware. No doubt in action. **The eye roll could be felt through the message.

**C pending action? **Flashfire asked.

Mainframe answered his inquiry. **Not yet. Current projects first priority. Monitor situation for changes. Any other reports?**

**Yes, **wrote Alex. **Flashfire delivery acquired. Project G confirmed on several counts. Splicing confirmed. Prisoners confirmed. DNA testing confirmed. **

There was a pause before she got her reply. **Further information?**

**Pending, **she typed.

**Contact on further discoveries.**

**Roger, **she typed in. At that, the rest of the team began to sign out. She knew the rest of them would have dark thoughts on the mind tonight, just as she did. Sentinels spreading out farther and mysterious testing on unknown mutants confirmed the worry that had been rising in her stomach ever since the message about the Sentinels had been delivered. The balance had been tipped somehow, or it had been tipping for some time and they hadn't been aware of that. She sat back in her chair, fiddling with her watch again. The visions of the past she received, as well the conviction and optimism that had been a substantial part of Xavier's nature, often calmed her and reassured her of her own beliefs.

Tonight, though, was not the case. She went to sleep with towering, dark shadows and cold laboratories on her mind, and they pursued her into her dreams. When she woke up the next morning, they hadn't left.

* * *

_A/N: This took longer than I'd expected. Slow writing fingers mixed with having to share the computer with my dad and his working hours makes for delay. But we finally get to check up on the other teams, and I managed to feature some characters that haven't really gotten a spotlight yet. _

_TarjavsAnnette mentioned this a couple chapters ago, saying she was surprised more people didn't comment on the character portrayal. Now, I could take this like I'm doing a really good job, but I'm not that arrogant. If you guys have any comments on your characters, or on other people's OCs, let me know. I want to make this story as good as it can be, character-wise._

_Oh, and Happy 2013! Who knew we'd make it?_

_I'd like to thank _**Super garurumon, Arian Eripmav, Stormplains, KA, dawnoftheceruleansky, Rex123, Willowstripe, TarjavsAnnette, **_and _**Obsidian the Ghost Face **_for their reviews. Seriously, I love you guys. And Willowstripe, Obsidian, welcome to the fold. It's always great to get new readers. Hope you guys continue to enjoy :)_


	16. Return of the Wolverine

**X2: Survivors**

"_Who are you?!"_

"_Evangeline? What the hell?"_

"_Wolverine?"_

Logan had held few expectations over the last few months, if any at all. So much had changed for the worse that he had thought himself invulnerable to surprise at that point. He was proven wrong.

He would be the first to admit he'd been traveling recklessly lately, especially with the increase in Sentinel patrols. He wasn't familiar with their routes, but he was plenty experienced enough to know what to avoid. But he'd been far less caring of the risks as of late, and because of that, one of the great, black machines had managed to catch him. He'd only been in that mutant holding barrack for a few days; he could have escaped with enough effort, but he thought it might be an opportunity to learn more of the situation. The guards tended to loosen their tongues around the mutants, mocking the prisoners in a petty way. He had learned some information, but none that really led him to what he sought, so Logan had been planning his escape.

Then there had been an unexpected intervention from the outside. He had heard the door unlocking, the hum of the electricity current running through the door turning off at the same time. The Wolverine hadn't wasted time, slipping out through the door and around the far corner just as the entryway door to the cell block opened. The guards outside were nowhere to be found, and his claws had made quick work on a section of the chain-link fence. From there it was a short sprint into the cover of the trees.

He had been curious though, and remained nearby, watching to see who the mysterious liberators were. Several minutes had passed before he saw a tight group of shadows making their way out of the compound on the opposite side, slinking away into the stormy night. He had waited several more minutes, seeing no others, and was about to back away and disappear into the dark trees when the blaring alarms and sirens started to wail through the compound. He'd tensed up, hearing a tremendous crash on the other side of the factory building, accompanied by a great flash of orange light.

Next came two black figures, sprinting and vaulting over the fence on his side. He tracked them through the trees as they ran. Wolverine had had to blink his eyes a few times when they had suddenly gone from a duo to a trio, the third member just flickering out of thin air beside them. Then the fiery comet had gone soaring by, the Sentinels had landed, and the battle had begun.

Multiple times, Wolverine debated jumping in to join the fight, but each time he was stopped at the last moment; first by the appearance of several others, lightning bolts and fireballs pouring out in defense of their fellows, and then again when the fire comet came rocketing back.

Wolverine was a creature of action, steeped in blood and violence until it was almost all he knew. Yet, he could not move himself from his space. Something about the mutants had seemed familiar, in more than just appearances, though he swore that the flying girl and the group's leader were familiar. The way they'd functioned as a group, backing each other up when their weaknesses had come into play, fighting with well-oiled efficiency, it had been painfully familiar.

Against all odds, the group of young mutants had won the fight. They'd stood together speaking, just quietly enough for not even his keen ears to pick it up over the storm. He'd inched closer… and given himself away.

The fire girl's head had shot up, her gaze burning towards his hiding place like beacons. Then the fiery streak had rocketed at him, blasting them both back and sending them tumbling. Then she'd been on top of him, a sharp blade's edge at his throat. She'd snarled at him to identify himself. It was then that he'd recognized her, despite the rain having soaked her hair and turned it almost black, or how much she'd aged. His mind resurrected an image, of a bony little scrap of a girl with dark red hair and an almost constant sulk. It also brought back pain, because of who the small girl had always accompanied whenever she'd visited the mansion. He'd said her name, and Evangeline had jumped back. She'd recognized him as well. The two had had only a few seconds to stare at each other dumbly, before the rest of them had come crashing through the boughs, ready for another battle.

A crude wooden plate was suddenly set down in front of Logan, snapping his gaze from the middle distance, into which he'd been glaring with intensity as he thought back on the events of barely an hour ago. He glanced down at the meager meal, before looking back up at the one who'd set it down.

"It's all we've got, but I have a feeling you're not one to complain," Limb said with a wry smile.

Logan grunted and took the plate. He'd recognized this kid too; couldn't remember his real name, but up close and with his glowing blue arms now exposed, he was easy to recall. He, along with a few other runty kids, had always been hanging around the mansion gates whenever Evangeline finished a session with Jean there. The painful memories attacked again, so he dug into his meal, determined to strangle the unwanted flashbacks into submission.

Logan and the group of young mutants, as well as the freed prisoners, were encamped under a particularly huge coniferous tree. Some past storm or tectonic activity had caused the great tree to tilt, its roots ripping half out of the ground on one side. This was where they sheltered, the tightly tangled roots almost creating a cave. A small fire flickered in the center of the space, providing warmth on the still thundering night.

Glancing around, Logan eyed all of the kids that had fought the Sentinel. Near one corner of their root cave, the stocky boy that seemed to teleport was laid out on the ground. Evangeline was leaning over him, checking for a concussion as she waved a bright little flame sustained on her fingertip over his eyes. Beyond their meeting, she hadn't approached Logan once, and kept a group's distance between them at all times. Near another corner, the electric girl and the dragon boy were huddled close, keeping warm. He could feel their awed gazes on him, and Wolverine had to resist the urge to growl warningly at them. The tall Russian boy was near the entrance, keeping his eyes and ears out for trouble, and the two wolf mutants were curled up and resting. The black-furred female was snorting sleepily through her nose, but the much larger male was still awake, his big golden eyes flickering about, watching everything.

Once their small dinner was finished, the freed prisoners all crowded together near the back of the cave, attempting to sleep. As choruses of snores rose through the hollow, Limb shifted his gaze to Wolverine, before standing and making his way toward him. Evangeline whipped her head to her leader, before getting up hastily and making her way toward the entrance of their hideout.

"_Taking an evening stroll Eva?" _Evangeline winced as Matt asked the semi-teasing question in her head. She ignored the use of the nickname (arguing would just waste time), and kept moving.

"_Yep," _she replied snidely.

"_You really aren't one for personal conversations are you?"_

"_No. Aside from the keeping idealism angle, they're just freaking uncomfortable. Plus, I don't do the trips down memory lane if I don't have to." _Matt felt a sudden spark of anger coming from her, not directed at him, but rather at the Wolverine. Before he could question her, she shot her final reply back. "_Be back in a bit."_

"_Watch yourself out there," _Matt bid her after a brief hesitation, before laying his large head back on the ground, his golden gaze flickering. She snorted before disappearing into the dark.

Logan watched with narrowed eyes as Evangeline practically sprinted out into the woods. He then turned his gaze to Limb, who had taken a seat directly across the fire.

"Alright bub, I'm hoping you've got some answers here," Logan growled.

The young man's narrow brown eyes softened around the edges, erasing some of the false age they'd added to his face. A slight smile broke out at the corners of his mouth. "You're just like I remember you, for all of the two times I'd seen you up close," Limb chuckled quietly. He held out his hand. "Since I kind of doubt you'd really remember me, I'm Donovan McCabe."

The older man took his hand in a tight, but short-lived grip. "Couldn't remember your name, but I recognized you. You were a lot scrawnier last time I saw you."

"Yeah, well, technically I still am. Muscle mass doesn't totally make up for food shortage," Donovan said with dark humor in his voice. The ancient, weary expression crept over his face again.

"I noticed," Logan grunted grimly. "Now you were sayin' something about answers?"

"I guess it's really not time for the pleasantries, huh?" Donovan said, before rubbing the back of his neck. The intense stare Wolverine was giving him made him feel like a schoolboy that had just given a stupid answer. But then, it wasn't the easiest task; how would he start to explain? "Well, what do you know already?"

Logan let out a deep sigh. "Too much, but still not enough," he mumbled, his mind returning to the very beginning of this nightmare, about five months ago. Actually, if he were being truthful with himself, it began five years ago, but that nightmare hadn't affected him until recently. And for that, it hurt all the worse.

_Five months ago…_

Upon first leaving the mansion, Logan truly had no intention to return there, despite his promise to Rogue. He knew that, if she'd known, she would have been furious and betrayed, but he believed she'd move on with time. They all would, whether they wanted to or not. They all aged, changed over time, grew into lives of their own. He had acted as a teacher and father figure, and now that they were all men and women, he wasn't needed anymore. Besides, he was more of a complication nowadays, what with how he felt about… in the end, it was better off if he left. They would see that, and he wasn't worried.

For a few weeks, he had traveled north into his old Canadian haunts; at least, those he remembered. He remained solitary, staying close to nature and closed off from the outside world. Soon, though, he felt something tugging him back. Refusing the urge, he increased the distance, leaving North America entirely. He briefly considered heading to the island of Madripoor, of which he had some vague memories, but he decided against it and instead returned to a place that had always meant peace for him: the monastery in Japan where he had learned the most how to control his inner animal.

It was there that Logan had remained, for a great amount of time; the days and months tended to blur there, with little modern technology, and no sense of hurry or stress. Also, his agelessness mixed with this timeless place allowed the weeks to slip away like water, until they blended into indeterminable amounts of time.

However, no matter how peaceful the place had been, it couldn't banish the urge that was tugging him back. Tugging him home. And so, against his own judgment, he'd departed from the monastery and back into the world. Almost four years had passed at that point. It didn't matter how long he'd been out of touch, though. Logan was world-smart enough to know instantly that something had changed. The animal in him sensed danger; not just in Japan, or China. It was everywhere. Somehow, the world had shifted while he'd been disconnected from it, and he had never even suspected. International travel had become nearly impossible, some places had curfews and new laws in place, and some were completely cut off from outside contact. Logan knew now, without a doubt, but with plenty of internal fear, that he had to get back.

It had taken him ages to make his way back into America, using roundabout trips, some illegal methods, and even hiking or swimming great distances at times. He had been gone from the United States for nearly five years, but there was no joy or satisfaction at his return, because he had returned to hell.

The whole journey flashed through Logan's mind as he stared, wordless, his bag dropped limply at his feet, at the ruins of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. His home. Unconsciously, he sprinted forward, vaulting over hardened trenches dug by armored vehicle tires into the once-pristine lawn. The knee-high grass whipped at his legs, but he ignored it.

The front door stuck at first, but with a swift punch, the grimy glass shattered easily. He slipped through, ignoring his cut knuckles as he peered around desperately. On instinct, he sniffed the air, hoping to catch a scent, any scent, but time, as well as the elements creeping through cracked windows, had washed away all the familiar smells. All there was to catch were the scents of mold and vermin droppings.

He scoured every room, every crevice for anything at all. The hangar: empty. Cerebro: ruined. The Danger Room: trashed. Every bedroom, the kitchen, the rec room, the living areas, all were as bereft of life as if it had never existed here in the first place.

Logan sat heavily on the Professor's old desk, ignoring the loud creak as he put his head in his hands. Contrary to the legends that circulated, not that he knew about them, the Wolverine was not infallible, nor was he emotionless. He was perhaps one of the strongest warriors this world had ever known, but even the most formidable fighter could be struck a blow at the loss of those he cared for most. A fierce growling rose in his throat. Chuck, 'Ro, Hank, Shades, Stripes, Elf, Half-Pint, Gumbo, the Tin Can, all the New Recruits, Angel, Scott's brother… Jean… were all gone, and even with his multitude of skills and experience, he had no idea where they were, or how to find them. His growl changed to a roar of rage and loss. With a deadly ring, his claws shot out, slicing furiously through the old desk. Still blinded by anger, Logan heaved the furniture and threw it, letting the animal inside have its way.

His rampage thrashed what little was left of the Professor's office, until he began to run out of things to cut. With another yell, he crashed his fist into the wall. It crumpled a bit, before suddenly sliding back, revealing the Professor's hidden monitor and TV. The screen was flickering; he must have turned something on accidently. It looked like old recordings. Blankly, he set it to the beginning, and let them play.

He saw several news reports dating to around when he'd left. Nothing new was revealed, until he reached May 18th. This recording wasn't that of a news report, but seemed to be taken straight from the camera on scene, not edited at all. He sat back, and watched how it had all ended. He saw the Professor speaking, before suddenly being shot from his chair; Logan knew he was gone before the noble man's body had hit the floor. Then came the chaos, the swearing cameraman shaking the camera to such a degree that hardly anything could be distinguished.

Then Logan heard the scream, and it nearly stopped his heart as a whispered 'no' escaped his lips. It was Jean, and she was utterly terrified, the cry begging for help. It would go unanswered, as the scream was consumed in a much more powerful, inhuman shriek. He leaned forward, but the cameraman had tripped at that point, dropping the camera and forgetting about it. The view was sideways, the lens cracked, and all Logan could see were stampeding feet, and a hellish light. The light grew brighter, consuming the screen in white, before it vanished. He saw nothing else of significance before a foot stepped on the camera and broke it, ending the feed.

Logan remained still, trying to grasp it. There was no visual proof, but his instincts didn't lie. Somehow, he knew that Jean was dead, just as the Professor was. They were dead, and he hadn't been there to help prevent it.

He continued to watch, switching between fury and numbness, as more news reports went by. The event he'd just witnessed was never mentioned again in detail, and the dark mystery of it made him want to slice up the TV in frustration. A harried news woman had come on screen; her face was pale, and dark circles were under her eyes. Fear was written all over her.

"_**In light of the severe event that took place in Westchester County, New York, labeled classified by the government, new regulations regarding mutant registration and containment have been passed, standing in for pending laws that are now passing through congress. Mutants, until further notice, are to register on online databases to the Mutant Registration Act, a compilation of names and locations that will help keep order during this time of crisis."**_

Logan saw that this was not well-received by the mutant population, as when the anchorwoman next came on, she looked even more frightened. Images of violence played behind her.

"_**In recent developments, the Mutant Registration Act has met with large resistance from the mutant population. Protests and riots in defiance of the Act have widespread over the Northeast, and are reported to be cropping up further west and south. New regulations deem that any mutants resisting the Act during this time will be held for questioning. Resisting arrest will result in temporary incarceration. The president urges the mutant population to remain calm; these measures, he says, are temporary precautions only. Senator Edward Kelly, however, had this to say at a recent press conference."**_

Logan growled as the bigoted former high school Principal stepped up and made his vehement speech. _**"These past few weeks have proved that mutants are unstable creatures, and that something must be done in order to preserve the security and safety of the American people."**_

At this point, Logan's nerves were at their breaking point, and he fast forwarded to the last report. The anchorwoman looked downright ghastly now; makeup and styling had been foregone almost completely, and her eyes were huge. In the background, not from the news clips, he could hear crashes and yelling.

"_**Last week, on Tuesday, June 23**__**rd**__**, the governmental project Toxin X was released. This toxin, according to government sources as designed to cause temporary weakness in mutants, in order to make apprehension of violent resistors of arrest safer, has seemed to have gone awry. Severe illness has been reported in mutants, and in some cases, casualty. The release of the Toxin, along with the casualties, has caused uproars and uprisings of violence in the mutant population. Mutant extremists, like the terrorist Magneto, have begun to strike out. Riots in the streets have made it dangerous to venture outdoors," **_the news girl said, beginning to stutter. She was petrified now, struggling to sound professional, and failing miserably._**"P-people are warned n-not to leave their houses if a r-riot is in progress in your neighborhood. They are to remain a-at home until officials deem it safe. The president urges all to remain calm – "**_

A window in the newsroom behind her suddenly shattered; Logan could see smoke beyond, and the noises of anger grew louder. The news girl lost all composure, screaming hysterically.

"_**LESLIE, SHUT UP, WE'RE STILL ON AIR! PULL YOURSELF TOGETH…"**_The wall behind the girl exploded insmoke and fire, and then the camera went black.

Logan stared at the blank screen, wondering if it was over, before more feed came on. The news girl was gone, replaced by a disembodied male voice that spoke over images of burning buildings, and wild crowds in the streets.

"_**As the out-of-control Toxin does its work, the mutant threat is decreasing rapidly. Rising casualties due to cellular breakdown from the Toxin, and a newly reinitiated Sentinel program, have made the threats easier to contain and demolish." **_Wolverine watched a news clip of none other than Magneto. The X-Men's old rival had truly fallen; his face was haggard and grey, his eyes sunken, and he looked every bit as frail as his age should have shown. Even Logan felt sorrowful respect as he watched the once formidable man fight his hardest to the last, before being struck down at last by a looming Sentinel._**"Also, a warrant for arrest has been placed on the mutant vigilante group the X-Men." **_Logan's head shot up, listening hard._**"However, when military units entered their known location in Bayville, New York, the X-Men were gone. Units discovered remnants of advanced technology in the Xavier Mansion, which appeared to have been destroyed to keep them out of government hands. A hangar was also discovered, but was empty of any aircraft. The warrant of arrest stands, and the search for the X-Men continues."**_

Beyond that, there was nothing, nothing else but more riots, and more death. At last, the preset recordings stopped in October, the memory banks full. Logan remained still, deep in thought. As far as these recordings showed, the X-Men hadn't been found; with the Toxin raging through the air, he had no clue how this had happened, but somehow they had made it out. Of course, they could have been caught at any time in the following four and a half years, but for the moment, Logan chose to believe they'd escaped and were still out there somewhere. And even if they had been apprehended and locked away somewhere, it would take more than one army to stop the Wolverine from getting them back, and dicing up a few of the bigoted bastards along the way. With the hunter and killer instincts rearing up inside him like they hadn't since his youngest years as the Wolverine, he left the mansion behind, and set out on his hell-bent quest to get his family back, at any cost, by any means.

_Present_

"So I've been wanderin' around, trying to pick up anything I can," Logan said, finishing his (much shorter) recount to Limb and his teammates. He watched intently as they all threw each other looks, most of their eyes wide. Limb turned his head back to Logan. There was a sad smile on his face.

"I think we can end your quest here. We know where they are."

Logan shot to his feet, just barely keeping his claws in at the sudden rush of adrenaline. "What? Where?" he questioned, demanding the answers in a rush.

"Back at our home base," Donovan said calmly. "They're safe… but there's something you should know," he said hesitantly.

"What? Spit it out kid, before I lose my patience," Logan snarled, mind still adjusting to the fact that these kids knew where they were the whole time, and wariness of whatever other news the blue-armed kid was about to throw his way. "I may have some of the answers, but I still wanna know how, if that Toxin killed so many mutants, you're sitting here, why the X-Men are at your 'base', and what the hell you were doing at that Sentinel factory." Even after his little catch-up at the old mansion, Logan still felt painfully oblivious, and he hated it.

Donovan inhaled, looking nervous. He didn't have the rigid control in his leadership that Wolverine recalled Scott had possessed, but then again, Scott had been trained by Xavier for the position; more likely than not, Donovan had been pushed into this role abruptly, when he wasn't ready for it. How old was the kid? Nineteen? Twenty? Would have been around fifteen that he started leading these kids most likely.

"Like I said," Donovan said; his voice was steady despite his previous imbalance, "they're back at our home base, but I think it's best if I just start at the beginning of our story." _"Well, not quite the beginning," _Donovan added in his head. Wolverine hadn't seen anything on that tape of the event that had brought them here, and he didn't want to reveal it yet.

"You know us Wolverine; at least, you know Evangeline and me. We and four other of our friends were staying in Bayville, hoping to get enrolled in Xavier's Institute, around the time that the toxin was released and things started to go crazy. We'd all met the Professor and the X-Men on visits, and Evangeline was even taking outside lessons with Jean Grey, so when everything started going to hell, we went to them for help. But the toxin was already in effect there. We're not positively sure why the toxin didn't affect us, or any other young mutants at the time; best guess from our friend Rin said that the newer generations of mutants must have made another evolution in their cells, giving them an immunity of some kind. In any case, when we got there, the X-Men were dying. We got them and ourselves out of Bayville, destroying what the government would probably take, and we managed to hide the jet and chopper in a cave down the coast. We check in every now and then, making sure they're still there. We didn't know what to do with the X-Men, though. Rin and Raquelle, our computer geeks, barely slept for weeks, trying to find some solution, some cure. At first we were all kind of floundering around, trying to stay out of sight and stay alive. Then Rin, the nerd sent from heaven, thought of tracing the origins of the toxin itself. He found out that it came from the Rebirth project that made Captain America."

Logan bit out a curse. Would that blasted machine that only brought misery and death ever disappear? It had certainly pulled off its biggest feat so far; from what the kid was saying, it sounded as though thousands, maybe even millions of mutant lives had been claimed by the toxin. Donovan had a similar expression of anger on his face. He went on to say, "The cellular breakdown process is what they incorporated into it. Rin figured that if we could mimic the cryogenic freezing process that preserved Captain America, it could save the X-Men. Thankfully, his powers give him the brain capacity to actually understand how to build something like that; the rest of us were basically on Lincoln Log level compared to him. He managed to nail it down and get them working barely in time; we almost lost a few of them." Logan forced himself not to stiffen. Almost, almost lost, he repeated furiously in his head.

Donovan continued. "After that we found a more permanent location, and rode out the worst of the storm. It was also when this team formed," he said gesturing around. "The X-Men weren't capable of helping mutants, not until a cure is found, but mutants needed and still do need help. We're a drowning species that's going to die out if we don't do our best to prevent it. So we formed X2, also known as the Seekers. We look for mutants in need of safety and shelter; try to give them slightly better lives. In the beginning it was us six friends: Evangeline, Rin Takahashi, Raquelle Martinez, James Mortant, Kai Scarborough, and I. After a while though, our different ideals drove us apart, and the four others formed two new teams: Raquelle and Rin formed the X2: Coverts, and James and Kai the X2: Outcasts. The Coverts are our spies in cities, keeping their ears to the ground for the toxin cure, or for more danger headed our way. We're not really in contact with the Outcasts; they're like a new Brotherhood, determined to take humanity and the regime on in war."

"Lately, there's been an upswing in Sentinel activity, so I took most of the Seeker team out here, to try to get the warning out and get some mutants in need to safety. We found that Sentinel factory back there recently," he said, pointing back vaguely with his thumb. "We were trying to disable it and free the prisoners, before that got botched somehow, and now, here we are," he said, gesturing around.

Wolverine blinked and sat back. Even with all of the things Donovan had related to him, the biggest thought in his mind was how proud Chuck would have been of these kids; the man had striven his whole life for his ideals, and the old man would have been over the moon if he could see these young mutants now.

Then his thoughts turned to the trigger of all of this, and his heart ached again, Jean's scream echoing in his head. He didn't really have any doubt, but he had to ask.

"You have all the X-Men back at base?" he asked, without any real hope. Donovan seemed to sense that, and shook his head sadly.

"No, I'm sorry. Mr. Xavier and Jean Grey died before the toxin was released."

Logan grunted, showing no emotion. His sorrow wasn't the only thing he was hiding, though. Donovan's answer had left him open to another question. Logan was well-aware that whatever had happened on that recording where Chuck and Jean had perished, it had been the trigger. Everything that had happened hinged on that event; not just the bad things in America, but the tension that had spread world-wide.

"You know, comin' back, I saw a lotta bad shit overseas as well as here. All kindsa laws and regulations for mutants now. It all started here, though. From the recordings and how you've been talkin', it almost sounds like you know what started this."

Donovan was only allowed a brief pause of worry before he was forcing himself not to jump at the voice in his head. _"Say anything, I'll fly you to the Pacific and throw you in," _Evangeline snarled. She sounded panicky, and therefore, extra mad.

"_I wasn't, but we can't keep something like this in the dark forever, especially not from him; he'll figure it out sooner or later," _he replied.

"_Then make it later!" _she snapped before he felt her presence leaving his mind. He sighed, feeling he should have known she would have been mentally spying, probably hunkered down in the woods somewhere, making sure they didn't let anything slip about the forbidden subject.

He turned back to Wolverine; the exchange had taken less than two seconds, but Logan's eyes were still suspicious. Donovan doubted he would believe any lies he could tell, but he shrugged anyway, staying casual. "No, not really. We know it happened in Bayville, but we're not sure what it was exactly."

Wolverine's stare transformed into a glare, but Donovan held the glower.

"Somehow, I'm not sure if I believe you, kid," Logan said darkly.

"Well, you'll just have to get used to it," said a disgusted voice. The two conversers and their audience turned to see Evangeline returning. She glared at Wolverine. "After all, it's the only thing you have to go on; it's not like you were here to see it yourself."

There was a silence. Chris and Stacy were staring at her in confusion, but Donovan lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. Wolverine stared back just as intensely at the glaring girl. It reminded him of the sulky child that would visit the Institute with Jean sometimes, the older redhead the only thing that could bring much happiness to her student.

"You got a point to make missy, why don't you stop pussy-footing around and just say it?" he growled.

Evangeline crossed her arms, eyes narrowing even further. "My point is, Wolverine, you weren't here when things went to hell; you were off, doing whatever, in foreign countries while thousands of mutants lost their lives, and those alive now are all in slavery or hiding in holes in the freaking wilderness," she spat.

"Awful bold of ya missy; why don't you check your facts before blaming this all on me," Logan sneered. He couldn't deny, though, that there was guilt within him; he hadn't been here when he should have.

"I never said I was blaming this on you, but you don't have the right to lord over us. We've been doing the X-Men's work for five years while you've been on your sojourn; stop acting as if you have the right to all the answers." She tossed her braid as she snarked, somehow upping her already high levels of disgust that she radiated.

Logan stood abruptly. With Evangeline in her low-heeled boots, he was shorter than her, but he wasn't about to let this bratty teenage girl get all high and mighty with him. He stalked up and stuck a finger in her face, like he used to do with any misbehaving, arrogant student. "Listen girl, maybe I shoulda been there years ago, but that's not somethin' I can help. The X-Men are my team, mutants are my kind, and it's my _right_ to know just what the hell happened. I don't know what kinda complex you got goin' on in your head, but last time I checked, you aren't no boss of mine, so keep your sneering to yourself, unless I ask for it," he said, finishing the last phrase of his declaration with sarcastic pleasantness.

Evangeline's glare didn't change one iota, but she didn't respond. Instead, she cast him a hostile glower, before pivoting and making her way into one of the darker corners. She settled down and remained silent, her glare never letting up. Another silence stretched for a few seconds. Matt, unintentionally catching her emotions, felt the put-out, angry energy radiating off of her. It was mixed, strangely, with relief and a little fear.

Donovan sighed again. "I think that's enough for one night." He cast a loaded stare at his team, which rapidly began to set up their sleeping places. "Sorry about that; she thrives off of arguing," Donovan said.

Logan shrugged, leaning back against the dirt and root wall behind him and closing his eyes. "Not like she didn't have a point there, but if she thinks she can knock me around, she's got another thing coming. Teenagers," he grunted under his breath. "Still think they know everything." His left eye cracked open, watching Donovan set up his own bedroll. "And don't think that little tantrum made me forget, kid. I'll still be wanting those answers."

Donovan froze, tilting his head sideways to meet the older mutant's hard stare. "I know," he said, resigned. "Just… not now." He paused, before continued in a different vein. "We still have our mission to do. If you want to get back to the X-Men, we can call for our teleporter and send you and the prisoners back right away, or you can stick with us until the next regular transfer back home."

"I'll wait," Logan said quietly, if the rumbling, deep-chested tone he'd taken could be called quiet. "On one condition: I take a quick stop, see my team, then you bring me back out here. I'm not gonna stay sitting on my ass in some base while there's some Sentinels out here to trash."

Donovan grinned. "It's a deal. It'll be quite an experience for all of us, fighting alongside an X-Man for the first time," he chuckled. The corner of Logan's mouth twitched up in a smirk as he kicked back. Logan didn't really measure the world in terms of hope and despair; he was a fighter, and fighters assess their surroundings with their weaknesses and advantages. This morning, he had been in a pretty low position: not down by any means, but not top dog either. Now, though, it looked like he might be gaining a higher hand.

He let his mind drift to his students, and his friends. He breathed in the cool, damp air and let it out again in a sigh, listening to the raindrops pattering above him. He remembered his promise all those years ago. _"Soon, Stripes. I'll see you soon."_

* * *

_A/N: I can actually consider this chapter short, considering the update lengths I've been cranking out recently. So Wolverine's back! Unfortunately, not much dicing was involved, but the Seekers just got over a fight; they don't need another one this quick. Again, this one was a chatty chapter, but there are still things that need introducing in the first of this trilogy. And I really only recently noticed this, but we're getting close to the end of Survivors here – at the very least two-thirds through – and the climax should only be a few chapters off. I need your support people; the end (of the first installment) is in sight!_

_I'd like to thank _**dawnoftheceruleansky, Super garurumon, Seeds of Destruction, Stormplains, Arian Eripmav, KA, Rex123, **_and _**silverstarsofquebec **_for their reviews. _

_**Next Chapter: **__A plan for the worst begins to form._


	17. Tension

**X2: Survivors**

The sun beat down, hot and merciless, from a cloudless sky. Heat shimmered up from the dusty ground, twisting the landscape as if it lay at the bottom of a rippling ocean.

The base that sat in the center of the barren desert looked both out of place, yet right at home. The sleek, modern structure was a far cry from the craggy rocks and prickly desert brush surrounding it, but the sandstone color of the walls and buildings allowed it to blend into the golden sand and scrub grass. The small valley it was sequestered within was surrounded on all sides by jagged buttes and red stone outcroppings, hiding it from view all around.

Standing on the compound wall that enclosed the lots and buildings, a tall man stood uncomfortably in his army fatigues in the sweltering heat. He tugged at his collar, longing for little else beyond cool shade and a glass of lemonade. His eyes blinked, trying to erase the sting in them caused by the heat, sand particles, and the blindingly bright landscape. Nothing to be seen, just like any other day.

The zip of shaft and feather through air was inaudible. The guard staggered back. Another guard down on the ground below the wall looked up as he heard the grunt and the shuffling footsteps.

"Jim?" he called, annoyed. The heat wasn't treating him any better than it was the other man.

Jim didn't respond. Rather, he slowly tipped back and tumbled from the wall. His fellow guard jumped back, mouth gaping as he watched a pool of crimson begin to stain the ground where Jim had landed. What looked like a silver arrow shaft with a black-feathered end stuck out from deep within the dead man's ribcage.

"Sound the alarm!" screamed the guard, before he heard a growl behind him. He pivoted swiftly, his eyes rising to a backlit figure on the wall where Jim had been standing. He was just in time to see the figure release their fingers from the taut bow. The arrow through his eye socket put an instant end to him.

The whip-formed archer lowered her bow, before concentrating hard. Already, alarm klaxons were blaring, but it would do little for the humans now.

Under her concentration, portals of silver light ripped open throughout the compound lot, and out of each leapt Outcast fighters. The first out were their leaders. Phalanx was back in his Kevlar armor and mask, the emerald-green symbol on the forehead flashing in the sun. Sonata's typical calm face was replaced by cold detachment, ready to carry out her task. Her trademark black headphones were fixed over her ears. The rest of her was dressed in black cargo shorts, a Kevlar vest, combat boots, and metal bracers on her forearms.

The first of the guards came running out of the main building. In a well-practiced motion, Sonata whipped her twin shotguns from the holsters on her outer thighs. The shots cracked loudly as both guards fell.

Phalanx growled out his orders to the attack squad of Outcasts rallied behind him. "Get inside, and take it all down. They want to play hardball? Let's play hardball." With that, he charged forward with Sonata at his side, knives brandished. Their troops were all too eager to follow.

With a sound blast from both Sonata and from Scream, the heavy doors crumpled inward and split, letting the mutants pour into the sterile hallways.

Casey fell into step beside Flash and Hive, who were sprinting with focused intent. The tall boy ignored the cold knot in his stomach as he heard gunshots and screams. He wouldn't be a hindrance here. Instead, he allowed his keen nose to inhale scents that dragged the animal forward, snarling and bloodthirsty; cold steel, the sharp tang of chemicals, and the reek of dark emotions. He growled low in his throat, his mild-mannered side taking a back seat. With new vigor, Casey pushed forward.

The trio of Outcasts rounded a corner to come face to face with a squad, heavily equipped with guns.

"Back!" Casey rasped. Hive and Flash fell back immediately as he jumped in front of them. The cracks of gunshots were drowned by Casey's screams as the bullets collided with him. He only had a simple red shirt beneath his black jacket. Nevertheless, he did not fall. The men's eyes widened as the long-haired mutant charged forward, even as his blood spattered to the floor. A deadly ring echoed through the hall as new screams rose.

Casey hissed as he withdrew his claws from the last corpse, his frame trembling with an overdose of adrenaline. The beast was in almost full control now; his ears could hear all of the violence streaming through the base, and he could smell the blood.

"Kodiak."

His head whipped wildly to Hive's purposely calm voice. At first, the codename he had been given before this mission began didn't register in his brain. Then, he slowly stood, keeping his claws pointed to the floor. He was fine for now, but he would need to find new targets soon, lest his feral rage grow too great for him to control or aim.

"Come on," Flash said urgently, continuing down the hall. "The others are all converging on the center, and I don't want to miss the mosh pit," she shot back sarcastically.

What she said was true. The Outcasts had spread through all of the outer hallways of the base, clearing it out as the moved in to the center, their intended destination.

In another hallway, Sonata and Phalanx were both right outside the central area. The door had been covered by gunfire, and the Outcast squad was crouched beyond the corners.

One of the human guards leaned out, firing off a round. At the same time, Sonata popped out briefly, throwing out her gloved hand. The guard screeched as the sound waves created by his own shot bounced right back into his ears, causing him to collapse.

"Got you," she whispered as she ducked back under cover. She turned to Phalanx. "Energy up yet? I want this over with."

"I'm ready," her fellow leader said, rolling his shoulders. It usually took him time to build up enough energy, but his next move was usually their ace in the hole. Black smoke consumed his form for a millisecond before one of his silent soldiers broke away from its creator; a strange, fully-formed mitosis. This happened again and again, the pitch-colored forms flowing out into the hallway, heedless of the bullets.

_Kill_, Phalanx simply and coldly commanded them. His soldiers had no need for weapons; with their enhanced strength and lack of pain or self-preservation sense, all they needed to do was swarm the enemy. The minute the yells and sounds of bone snapping started, Phalanx stood and led his team inside. Sonata hesitated for a moment, flinching as she heard the soldiers do their work, but she stood and followed in the end.

The central room was square, and not exceptionally large. In the center was a partitioned area hemmed in by thick, plexiglass walls. Cells of a similar nature ringed the room, and a few of them had occupants.

_Free them, _Phalanx ordered. A dozen soldiers broke away from their positions over their conquered opponents and moved that way. Phalanx peered around the place. Rumor had it that when mutants had first been discovered, some of the X-Men had been held here, after they had been captured during the battle with the very first Sentinel. James scoffed quietly under his breath, unimpressed. After his team took their leave, the place wouldn't be holding mutants any longer.

A tap on the shoulder from Sonata brought his attention up. A dozen or so mutants, freed from the cells, stood there warily. He drew himself up.

"You don't have to be afraid. Obviously, we're mutants like you, and we're here to free our kind and strike back at the people who have subjected you and all mutants to injustice," he said in a powerful voice. "We can give you shelter, if you're willing. Make your decisions quickly, because we're not quite done here, and our remaining tasks are not going to be peaceful."

He had no doubt they would accept, and he was right on that count. He motioned their transporter, Rip, forward. "She'll take you back to our home, where you'll be safe. Move fast; we probably don't have much time left."

As soon as he saw the group begin to head through, he turned away and strode from the room. Sonata easily fell into step beside him.

"The others have gotten the supplies we need, as well as the parts for the dam turbine," she said quickly as they made their way through the halls. Phalanx cast a glance at her; he had never quite gotten used to the fact that his partner's amazing sense of hearing made her seem almost omniscient at times. It was useful though, as she was basically the radio link for all communications in their group.

"Good. Are they on their way?"

Sonata tossed him a glance. "Quarter of an hour at most. We should have just enough time." She turned her head away, but Phalanx barely caught her shaky inhale of breath.

"Hey," he said gently as he stopped her. His leader voice had gone, becoming softer and younger. "Hey," he said again, catching her arms and bringing her closer. "We've been doing this for years now, and even though things are changing, you don't have to be scared. I'll always have your back."

Kai gave him a glare, her one working eye flashing. "It's not me I'm afraid for." Her eyes moved about in the directions of the voices she could hear, her team and followers. "You and I, we know our missions. But what right do we have to command _them_ one way or another?"

"They've made their own choices. We're just directing them," James replied, unrelenting.

"You just said it: things are changing, going in directions even we aren't sure of. What happens to our command and direction when _we _don't know what to do? This is only the beginning James," she said quietly. "How much… how many lives are we willing to risk? To sacrifice?"

His lips drew into a thin line, and his eyes narrowed. Kai swallowed back her frustration at his stubbornness. She would never turn her back on him, but it made her worried and angry when he refused to look beyond the idea to see the reality.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he grunted before shutting down the subject. "Where are our demolishers?"

Kai's glare intensified, knowing full-well that he was dodging the conversation. For now, though, she couldn't call him on it. They were running out of time, and it wasn't going to be any place for arguments soon enough. "They're heading to their jobs now. They're just waiting for the order to start."

Phalanx nodded curtly. "Send it out."

Sonata cupped her hands over her mouth, quietly saying the order. She then balled her fists together and concentrated, using her powers to replicate the sound waves captured between her palms. At last, she released them, sending the echoing words through the conquered Area 51 buildings to the team members who were assigned to bring the base to the ground.

"Come on," she said to her partner. They barely made it from the main building before an explosion through the upper floors sent fire and smoke twirling into the sky. Right on cue, similar explosions started up in all of the buildings. There were also great rumblings as some of the structures collapsed inward. On the east side of the compound, a mighty scream tore through stone and steel.

"Barely five minutes out," Sonata said quietly. Phalanx didn't acknowledge her words, but he did turn to Flash, who was standing a few yards away, watching the righteous destruction of the military base.

"Why don't you give them a nice beacon; make sure they don't get lost?" he said with black sarcasm.

The dark-skinned girl nodded, rubbing her hands together. With a sharp inhale, she threw her hands up. A white beam, like frozen lightning, shot into the noontide sky. Even in the brightness of the day, it couldn't be missed.

The Outcasts, including the demo team, gathered outside the destroyed buildings. They created a powerful image: many united figures silhouetted against the smoke and fire of the burning structures behind them. It could only be matched by the forbidding sight of great, black shapes approaching from the sky. As they grew closer, the gleam of red, mechanical eyes could be seen.

Phalanx smiled grimly. "Outcasts!" he yelled as every last mutant tensed, falling into stance with weapons at the ready.

"ATTACK!"

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, please take your seats. This meeting is about to begin."

The plain, sterile room that had held a similar meeting some months ago was full once again. The shadowed figures took their places around the circular table. There was an air of both satisfaction and tension in the room.

"First off," said today's spokesperson from her place by the wall, "I think we would do well to commend Board Member Jones for his _considerable _success with Sentinel Project 4.0. The collection and processing of outsiders has never been more efficient. Unfortunately, that points out another large problem. The past several months have shown that mutants are clearly not extinct, nor even subdued. The increased numbers of those captured proves the first, and several fairly recent attacks on government facilities have proven the other. The first attack took place in the Midwestern region, on a remote Sentinel factory. The second took place only a few days ago, footage captured from Sentinels on-scene shown here," she said, indicating the wall behind her. A projected image flickered to life, displaying recordings taken from cameras within the eyes of the Sentinels.

The Board watched silently as the robots came upon their Nevada base. The buildings of the compound had been utterly destroyed, smoke curling into the bright sky. On the grounds of the old Area 51, shapes swarmed and crowded.

The lead Sentinel was seemingly knocked from the air by a powerful blast of sound, which was the heralding shot for a storm of attacks from the mutants below. The collection of footage played out for some time before the screens began to go dark, as each Sentinel was summarily dispatched.

"A much larger problem than we thought," growled one voice. "You all saw that! They're obviously far more organized than we first believed, and against groups like these, these new Sentinels do jack shit!" The speaker then swung his head around, focusing on a leaner shadow across the table. "What genius plan do you have now Moore, seeing as your 'stir up the river' concept has just made the freaks angry, rather than send 'em running scared? I say we stop beating around the goddamn bush and go full force on these creatures, take 'em out for good!" Some exclamations of approval filled the room.

The lean figure, Moore, shook his head, letting out a grunt of pitying frustration. "You really are embracing the boneheaded military stereotype, aren't you Rockwell? You seem unable to grasp the concept of strategy, that this is exactly what we need. Don't you realize what this footage gives us?"

The stony glare of Rockwell gave Moore his answer. "It gives us everything!" he exclaimed, annoyed. "Their numbers, their powers, their group functioning. We have always feared mutants, don't try to deny it. We fear them because their powers, their natures, we couldn't understand them. The solution? _Grow_ to understand them, so when it becomes necessary, as it has now, we can discover the means to put them down."

"Oh yes," said a woman's voice sarcastically. "It all makes perfect sense now. But what about the things it doesn't give us? Like, say, their locations and or where they plan to strike next? These new Sentinels are more powerful, but mutants in those numbers won't be beaten with just a few robots."

Moore sat back, clasping his hands together and thinking. "It's true that we won't be able to reach them where they are, but that isn't the point right now. Right now, we need to find out everything we can. There is one point you have correct; we can't find out every answer from the tapes. We just have everything that will lead us to that goal _eventually_. This is only the first round, after all. What we need…" He paused, considering. The various members listened, wondering what the devious man was planning.

"What we need…" Another halt. He mulled over something for a moment before seeming to change his tack. "What we need is to go over this footage and everything we have since January. The answer, my fellows, is here before us. We just need to find the right piece to complete the puzzle. And I believe I might have a place to start."

He stood abruptly. "If you would excuse me, I will be actively moving toward a solution to this problem. Feel free to continue your prattling," he sneered through the dark. He then exited through a narrow door in the back. Several angered mutters followed his disdainful parting words, but they did indeed return to their discussion.

Meanwhile, Moore made his way down the narrow hallway outside, his mind working at its top pace. Several threads of thought and information were coming together, and he believed the conclusion he was slowly working towards would bring rather satisfactory results.

* * *

A blast of jet-propelled flames crashed against the barrier of tumbled rock, sending smaller fragments of stone scattering about. Feet scrambled about as the workers rushed to collect the shards and haul them away.

Leaning down, Jesse Taylor grunted, his back muscles burning from strenuous use as he hefted another large chunk of debris into his arms and began to lug it toward the disposal cart. He dropped it inside the half-full container with a sharp crack, wiping the dust from his eyes.

The tunnel that had been collapsed during the attack on Lincoln nearly seven months ago was almost completely cleared. There was only a thin wall of rock blocking the way now. The completion of the tunnel would also mark the end of the labors the slaves had endured as they fixed the damage from the invasion. It did not, however, mean that everything was back to the way it had been.

Jesse's head shot up as an angry cry went up from a little way's down the tunnel. All the mutants looked up at the sight of one of the mutants, who was crouched against the wall clutching a bleeding arm, probably from a sharp piece of debris, glared at two advancing guards.

"Back to work," grated out one of the tall men, brandishing a Taser rod. The skinny young man scowled hollowly.

"Why the hell should I? I've had it! Either I die bleeding out as I work, or one of you assholes off me. I'd rather go face-first into the furnace than scramble around doing your work another minute," the resistor spat.

Defiant words, but a cry of pain was instinct when the second guard that hadn't spoken had drawn his pistol from its holster, and the gunshot banged painfully off the tunnel walls. The mutant fell to the ground, clutching at his mangled knee as he gasped in pain. Jesse watched, frozen, as the dark blood oozed from between the mutant's shaking fingers. Without a word, the guard that had fired seized the injured man's collar and started dragging him away. Everyone stood staring, even the first guard for a moment or two. Then the man with the Taser shook his head, turning to the many pairs of eyes burning at him.

"Alright then, back to work, all of you, unless you want the same!" he shouted.

Nothing happened. Used to be this kind of order would send them scrambling, but now, they just stared back. Several dark glares were focused on him, and a growl from within the crowd was faintly heard. The formerly cocky man tried to cover a gulp as he pulled out his sidearm. "Now don't start getting any idea. Any mutant to try something is gonna get one through the skull. Stay in line and no one gets hurt."

The growl was heard again, the crowd parting slightly to allow a prowling Leo Dyson to the front. The pupils of his amber eyes had become slit and feline and his canine teeth were sharp.

The gun cocked. "One wrong move…" the guard hissed.

The ensuing pause could have ended several ways, most likely in an unpleasant manner. However, that was not to be, as a red-skinned hand landed on the aggressive mutant's shoulder. His head whipped around to glare fiercely at Tyler, who faintly shook his head, despite the hatred in his own ice-blue eyes. Reluctantly, Leo relaxed, drawing back into the settling crowd, his brother sticking very close.

The guard, shaken, didn't lower his weapon. "Now, get back to work! And if one of you decides to be a hero after all, there's a whole patrol of men not far down this tunnel, so don't think you'd get away with anything." The man then backed hurriedly down the passage, not quite out of sight, but far enough away from the volatile crowd for his own comfort.

Jesse watched it all unfold; half unaware that he had been holding his breath for a good chunk of the altercation. Now that it was over, and it appeared that his friend wasn't going to be punished for his blatantly open hostility, he began to breathe normally again.

As a matter of fact, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened in the past couple of months. The two months directly after the attack had been mostly consumed with the fast, exhausting pace of repairing the damages. But once things had begun to settle again, the fierce, almost rabid drive their human controllers had instilled during the first months had not gone away again. They were always there now, pushing, yelling, punishing when it just seemed for the sake of amusement. At first, it had kept the slaves cowed, but steadily the human nature still within them began to wake up. Once pushed beyond their tolerance point, they began to push back. Jesse didn't like to think about just how many mutants had met the firing squad or the roaring furnaces for pushing back just a little too hard.

Through the crowd, Jesse spotted a head of pale blonde hair as the mutants went back to work. He jogged to catch up.

"Benj," he hissed. Benj's head whipped around, and Jesse started when he saw that the blonde's eyes were glowing pale violet. Benj blinked, causing the ghostly color to vanish. Jesse drew level with him.

"How bad is it?" he asked worriedly.

"I thought this was going to be the one that did it," the other mutant said. "Half of them were ready to tear heads off, Leo included." His green eyes flickered to his brother, whose shoulders were still stiff with suppressed rage.

"How is he now?" Jesse asked.

Benj said nothing, but his eyes began to glow again. To Benj, the scenery changed. It was a riot of colored light, auras that surrounded each mutant with a jumble of colors curving around them like shields; their emotions.

Benj focused on the one embodiment of emotion that wasn't represented by a blob. A long chord of light stretched between himself and Leo, an empathic link between them. At the moment, it pulsed red. Reaching out with his mind, Benj flinched back just as quickly from the emotion that channeled from his brother into him. His fists curled tightly, and the desperate desire to scream and hit something almost escaped him.

Jesse saw the expression of fury flooding his friend's face, and he quickly backed away. He had seen this happen before, and he knew it was best to keep his distance for a minute. One punch in the jaw was enough for him, and Benj didn't really need that guilt a second time.

Benj blew out a breath, his eyes back to normal. He glanced at Jesse.

"Uh…he's not that great," he panted unnecessarily.

"You think?" Jesse asked with raised eyebrows. "It looked like you wanted to snap a neck."

"Nearly," Benj muttered, "and Leo's not the only one. This is gonna get us all killed," he said, still under his breath.

"So we should just all turn the other cheek, huh?" Jesse asked with narrowed eyes. He couldn't believe he was hearing this, and from the Dyson/Dent crowd no less.

"No!" Benj snapped. "I'm saying that… that we need to find a way out of here, screw the odds!"

Jesse blinked. "Well, that's more like it, but how are we going to do it? I'd rather die trying to escape than get butchered like an old cow, but I'd at least like a fighting chance."

"Yeah, I know. We're just going to have to brainstorm the right way to do it, some way that hasn't been tried before, before it's too late." A sharp nudge in the ribs stopped him as Jesse jerked his head backward. A new set of guards had joined the workers; it was best to keep any plans of escape internal until they were safe to talk again.

Several more hours passed uncounted underground, just a blur of aching muscles, scratched palms, and stale, dusty air. At last, they heard the whistle that signaled them to stop. It was probably lunch time. The mutants were herded down the tunnel and into a lift that would take them topside for their allotted half hour break before they would be brought back down into the semi-darkness. As they ascended, one of their guards pulled out a controller, typed in a passcode, and then hit a red button. The collars around every mutant's neck blinked on, their powers now restrained.

Work breaks were held in a small fenced-in lot not far from the underground's exit. The crowd was pushed through the gate before it slammed shut again.

The Dysons and Jesse took their seats along the metal benches as the typical fair was handed out. They were joined shortly by a silent Strobe, who had been working in the crop fields. The mutants around them immediately began scarfing their food as fast as they could; there would be nothing more until a late dinner. The five friends followed suit.

Towards the end of the meager meal, Benj began wheezing heavily. His brothers looked up in concern as he pulled an inhaler from a plain black belt he wore with his standard issue grey uniform. The inhaler eased the harsh breathing some, but not as much as it should have.

"Almost out of medicine again," Benj said wearily.

"They should deliver the new dose today, right?" Leo asked, trying not to sound worried.

"Today or tomorrow. Let's hope it's today," Benj replied.

"The deliverers should be around in a few minutes," Tyler said, his tail twitching.

Indeed, several minutes later, the alarm above the gate buzzed as several people were let into the pen, carrying specially required items for the workers. Benj peered upward, trying to catch a glimpse of his typical delivery person. He caught sight of her as she made her way towards them from the back of the pack of humans that were swiftly dolling out their items and getting out as fast as possible. His deliverer moved with far greater ease than the rest of them.

She had only been bringing the asthma medicine for a few months. Her predecessor had quit the simple job after the invasion, and the group of friends had shed no tears over it, mostly because of the replacement herself. She rarely spoke, but her actions spoke plenty for her.

The blonde girl arrived at their section of the table, carrying the small black bag used by all the deliverers. She placed the asthma medicine replacement on the table, before throwing a swift glance back. No one was looking their way. She reached back into the mini duffel, before withdrawing a small baggy that she placed on the table. Within it were five little muffins, golden brown and probably more delicious than anything mutants were used to tasting these days. The girl gave them a small smile.

"Better eat those fast," she whispered before gathering the carrying bag and beginning to move away.

Benj nodded as a swell of warmth grew in his chest that was exclusively for the one human that had bothered to show them kindness in so long. "Thanks Lindi," he said.

She returned the nod, before being ushered harshly out of the pen. The gate slammed behind her. She cast a swift glance back, just in time to see them already polishing off the muffins. A lump grew in her throat, and her hands curled into fists. Every time she came here, it grew harder and harder to walk away.

"_I've been keeping my promise Kota," _the girl thought to her friend, wondering where the wolf girl was now, _"but I'm going to end up busting them out myself if you don't find a way back soon."_

"_If you're still alive out there." _Lindi crossed her arms, worry squirming in her stomach at the dark thought. But she had confidence in her friend, not just that she could survive out there, but that she would hold to her promise and come back for her friends. Lindi had recently found herself longing for the day that happened. The longer she'd spent mostly silently watching over the mutants, and growing to care for them in the same way she had Kota, even if they barely spoke, the more she began to feel trapped herself. Even as she was able to pass the guards and barriers to walk back along the path to her home, she still felt as though she were closed behind the high fences, with no escape in sight.

Lindi shivered.

* * *

_A/N: God, I don't know why this chapter took so long to get out. Well, I guess I do: distractions, writer's block, ACT studying, and climax anxiety. I want to get this just right, and it's driving me crazy. I'll try to write as fast as I can, because by my estimate, we have only four to five chapters left *fist pump*_

_P.S. I'm sorry if anyone's pissed that the fight between the Outcasts and the Sentinels was off-screen. I really wanted to show it, but it just didn't flow with the rising action flow. Soon, I promise soon._

_I'd like to thank _**Stormplains**_,_ **Arian Eripmav**_,_** Super garurumon**_,_** dawnoftheceruleansky, Seeds of Destruction, KA, Rex123, TarjavsAnnette, Obsidian the Ghost Faced, FrostyKoala, **_and_** doomforzombies16 **_for their reviews and support. You guys really make the writing process that much more gratifying and enjoyable._

_**Next Chapter: **__The best laid plans of mice and men…and mutants…_


	18. Best Laid Plans: Part I

**X2: Survivors**

Sentry stared, utterly lost, at the great pile of notes that had accumulated around her, containing file numbers, passcodes, crude charts mapping trends, lists of under-the-table transactions going back several years, and written observations in her own shorthand. Yet, for all of the collected information, she somehow knew she'd hit a dead end. The Covert dropped back against her headboard, defeated.

Maybe if she had more help on the subject, she might not be stumped, but ever since the mutant experimentation evidence Replica had found had been distributed among the team, most of the members' focus had shifted. Mainframe, while making sure to keep their search for the Toxin cure active, had said that the classified information took greater priority. The news of experimentation was disturbing in itself, but with splicing being a confirmed factor, the possibilities of what the mysterious people running the project could be doing with it caused great worry to arise. So now, the Covert efforts were concentrated mostly in that area. Only Sentry and one other member continued in their original tasks of locating information on the Toxin. Right now, Sentry was thinking that maybe she would need to cross wires with her partner, see if he had any knowledge of which she was unaware. She settled back into the pillows, ignoring the clutter around her. It was nearly three o' clock in the morning; she should be able to sleep easily. Before her eyes began to droop, she reached for her phone and typed in a quick message.

_Need to talk. I'll be asleep soon. See you in a bit. _Alex hit send, allowing her weariness to catch up with her.

Her dreams wandered on an indistinct path, mostly cluttered, nonsensical images, before they settled on something coherent. She was in some great aquarium, with towering tanks containing any number of beautiful exotic fish, the blue light streaming through the tank waters wavering over the walls and floor in lulling motions. It was no place Alex had been before in the waking world; she'd never had the money to visit an aquarium back in China, nor the opportunity here in America. It was nice, though, so she simply watched the colorful marine life flitting about beyond the glass barriers.

It wasn't long before she felt a presence beside her. She knew it was no element of her dream, because the moment she felt it, the detached, vague sense that pervades the mind in dreams left at the presence's entrance. Everything became much more real. She turned (and craned her neck up) to see the handsome face of Nyx as he stared at the aquatic life with a calmed expression.

"Nice dream. Really relaxing. Whenever I do this with Mainframe, it's like being stuck in physics and Calculus hell. Just endless whiteboards of facts and calculations that he can't even put away in his sleep. I feel bad for the guy," he said, glancing down at her with a pitying smile.

Alex nodded in agreement, lowering her gaze. It was a strain on her neck to meet his eyes when they were this close; he was over a foot taller than she was.

"You rang?" he asked after a few moments of silence. She turned back to him. She hoped that she couldn't flush with anger or shame, being in a dream.

"I'm stuck, Jackson," she stated bluntly. "The information about the Toxin, it's run dry. I've traced every paper trail and financial wire we have, but I've hit a dead end every time. I needed to know if you know anything."

Jackson's shoulders dropped. "Crap. You too?"

Alex's mood sank. "You have nothing?"

He shook his head morosely. "I've been snooping all over town, checking possible front companies, paying off anybody who might know anything, and _zip_. The only possible lead I've got is that BioTech one you gave me about a month ago. I checked out the address you gave me, but it was just a branch office for a subsidiary company owned by BioTech out in Chicago. The subsidiary might be what we're looking for, but we can't get information from where we are now."

Alex sighed deeply, leaning back against the glass. She watched a turtle swim by, followed by a cloud of small, sparkling fish. The former serenity they brought was now gone.

"Then we should let the team know," she said. "We can go over our notes again, but I've got a feeling we're not going to find anything else in Boston."

"At least not relating to the Toxin," Jackson said. "We've still got the Genesis project to work on, and we have to find Pause's sister."

"I know," she replied, "but we should let them know all the same. We could get our relocation plans in the works a little early, and move out at once when everything's completed."

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "I can get to most of the team tonight, call a meeting."

"Okay," she nodded, standing up straight again. "It would be a good time to report what else I've learned from the CEO's ring, and whatever Lupus might have learned about the Sentinel situation outside. Also, could you see if Gemini can get to the meeting? I have a feeling she might want to be in on this one."

"Alright. Tomorrow night, usual time?" he asked.

"Yeah, at the abandoned warehouse by the water we use sometimes," she said.

"Got it," he said. As Alex watched, his form began to fade from sight, and the unreal quality of her dream began to return. "See you then."

"See you," she replied faintly as he vanished completely, leaving her drifting in her dreams.

* * *

"Is this everyone?" Acorna asked the small group gathered in the creaking, salt-encrusted warehouse. The lapping of waves nearby on the wharf almost muffled the softly spoken sentence.

"Yeah," Replica replied, looking around at the gathering. Not everyone was there. "Mainframe caught on to something, so he's at home working on it, Luck stood in for you at the shelter, and Flashfire and Pause are out as well. They might come later, but I'm not counting on it. So, I'll be in charge of this little get together," she said. She gestured to Nyx and Sentry. "First off, the people that called this meeting should go first." She gestured them forward.

Sentry huffed, rubbing at her leather forearm sleeves in agitation. "Yes, Nyx and I called this meeting. Recently, we've run out of leads on the Toxin cure, and we've rechecked every point we could think of, and we haven't uncovered anything new. We've come to the conclusion Boston isn't going to provide any more information on the cure, and that once the Genesis project is complete and we've managed to get ahold of Pause's sister, we should relocate."

None of the group was really surprised, or put out. Ever since the Coverts had been formed as a proper team, they had relocated three times already. Only one of their number showed uncertainty about the prospect.

"Relocate? To where exactly?" Gemini questioned nervously. She had been rather fidgety since arriving; it was her first time attending a Covert meeting, and the tension that tended to grip most newcomers was obvious in her face and body language.

Nyx spoke. "The one possible lead we have indicates Chicago as our next best bet. If we get a clearer indicator, though, it could lead anywhere."

"Oh," Gemini said quietly.

Replica shifted her weight, her normally energetic and unflappable manner sobering a bit. "I guess that would be a bit of a decision on your part too. You've helped the Coverts out quite a few times; several of us already think of you as part of the team. But if we left, you could either choose to stay here, or you could come with us."

Gemini paused, gnawing her lower lip. "I don't know. I want to help you guys, and I think of you as friends, but I'm just not sure…" she trailed off.

_"You're not sure you can give up your safe, comfortable life,"_ whispered a deriding voice in Gemini's head. She crossed her arms, shoving the voice away. She felt guilty, but she really couldn't make this decision yet.

Replica waved off several of the members that looked as though they were about to start trying to convince her to come along. "It's your decision in the end, but just so you know, we'd love to have you along," she said with a half-smile. Of course she wanted her sometimes mission buddy to tag along, but she wasn't going to push her.

"Okay, so we should start setting up for a move-out," Replica continued, clapping her hands together. "That's one thing discussed. Anybody else?" she said, peering around like she expected a hand to be raised.

"I have some news from outside," Lupus said. "Not a lot, but better little than nothing. The Sentinel movement is still going, but I've been hearing rumors that there are groups fighting back."

Replica snorted. "Those would be my old buddies. They don't like staying out of the action. Anything specific about the groups, just to make sure?"

Lupus shook her head. "Not that I've heard yet, but I'd guess you're probably right."

Their leader nodded her head. "Alright, now we've got that out of the way. Most of you have been reporting regularly on the Genesis project, so I don't think we need to go over that, unless someone's got something new they'd like to share?" Sentry spoke again, relaying a few things she had learned from the CEO's ring, but it was nothing too revolutionary. A quick glance around after her brief report showed that no one else had anything to say. "Okay, so Chatter, could you note the meeting and send it to Mainframe? I don't want him buzzing me at seven in the morning asking what happened." The bespectacled Covert nodded, pulling out his phone and beginning to tap away.

"As for the rest of us, we'll continue with our regular jobs, but we're also going to start working on the transitional steps: reworking identities, checking out the Chicago situation to see how hard it is to get in, all that stuff. Once we get our destination confirmed we can start wiring small amounts from our savings accounts to have us already set once we get there."

Replica opened her mouth to continue, but a harsh hiss from Lupus stopped her. Lupus's green eyes gleamed and her ears twitched. A few moments later, the quiet pings of the perimeter alarms went off in their comm. links. Without a word, they all faded back into the shadows, drawing weapons, their gazes zeroing in on the direction the alarms were indicating.

Rapid, shuffling footsteps scrambled closer, as two figures darted through a gap in the south wall. A breathless puff of the password in a feminine voice told them that Pause and Flashfire had decided to join their meeting. Replica popped from her hiding place.

"Jesus, you could have let us know you were coming, 'stead of scaring the shit out of us," she huffed, putting away her handguns.

The urgent explosion of words from Pause showed that she didn't much care, and probably hadn't even heard Replica's grumbling words.

"We found her! We got the location!" she cried breathlessly.

The Coverts all snapped to attention, and Replica perked up. "You spotted your sister?"

"By pure luck," Flashfire said, also rather out of breath. "Out on the camp routes in the old Newton neighborhoods. We're just doing the standard patrol, then a bunch of transport cars start going by, outside of the usual schedule. We followed for a while, and when they stopped at a checkpoint we found out that there was a prisoner uprising in one of the camps. It was stopped," he said grimly, "but the camp got damaged enough to compromise the security. They were transporting the prisoners to a temporary facility building until the place is fixed. That's when we got a glimpse of her in the back of one of the trucks."

"You have the facility location?" Replica asked.

"Yeah," Pause said, nodding so fast she looked as though she'd give herself whiplash. "While they were stopped, we were able to get in close enough to get a tracer on the last truck."

"And while they're in the facility lock-up, the security will be way lower," Flashfire added.

Everyone was now sitting erect, listening intently. "How long will they be there?" questioned Acorna.

"Less than a week. They don't plan on using the facility for long; they'll be shuffling the camp residents around to make room. We don't have much time," Pause said swiftly. The nerves and adrenaline caused her to pace rapidly back and forth across the floor, probably not even conscious of doing it. Her gloved fingers twisted together in agitation.

Replica hushed the questions bubbling up. She turned to Pause, who had halted her pacing for a moment to meet her gaze. "Then we'd better take advantage of what time we've got. Send what specs you've got to all the members; we need to pull a plan together here, and fast."

"Once you all get home," she said, turning to address them as Pause and Flashfire began sending around the information, "study this stuff like crazy. Meeting's done, get out of here," she said as their phones alerted them that the e-mails had been received. Replica watched with pursed lips as they reached for them. "I said go! Get out! Hasta la vista! Do I need to break out the Spanish verbs?" she barked. She smirked as the team scrambled out. She turned to Pause, who was staring at her with the faintest of smiles.

"Don't worry. We'll have you and your little sis out of here before you know it," Replica said confidently as the two girls strode for the exit, Flashfire behind them.

"Thanks," Pause said simply, mimicking her gratitude from all those months ago at her first Covert meeting. Her chest seemed to swell with a riot of emotions. An image of her little sister as she'd seen her on the truck came to mind, the first time she'd seen her in over five years. Tears had nearly come to her eyes when she'd seen the bony, pale little figure huddled in the back of the caged vehicle. But even with her aged, haggard outward appearance, Trish had seen that same, tough little spark in Gina's blue eyes. Her hands gripped into fists as she gathered her determination.

_"Hang in there, Genie. We're coming for you. I'M coming for you." _

* * *

Rin reached for his third cup of coffee. He knew this wouldn't be the last mug of the night; he had hardly slept the previous night, only for a short time before Nyx had contacted him, and he hadn't gone back to sleep afterwards. When he had a serious project, sleep was second priority.

His long fingers flew over the keyboard as his eyes scanned the screen, struggling to be just as meticulous as always, despite the many hours he had been at this.

"Damn it," he growled as he hit another dead end. So many months spent on this infuriating Genesis project, and they had barely scratched the surface of this. Mainframe might well have been the best hacker on the East Coast of the US, but whoever was in charge of this was powerful, well-connected, and keeping this very close to the chest. For the past week now, both he and Chatter had been working full force on cracking into one of the many hidden data packets hidden in the Genesis archives. However, the problem wasn't finding them; it was getting through the security. This kind of protection might have been easily cracked by up-to-scale equipment, and maybe a satellite, but with only amateur equipment and their bare-bones skills at their disposal, the Covert hackers were making progress at a snail's pace. They spent more time covering up their presences than they did actually cracking into the hidden data, and what little they managed to collect was also encoded.

Rin's fingers began hitting the keys with more angry force than was necessary. The codes he was entering streamed in front of him. He waited for the failure screen to pop up again. Sure enough, a hushed blare and a red pop-up indicated that he had hit a blank for what felt like the millionth time.

Rin shot up from his seat, knocking the roller to the floor with a clatter. He stabbed another code in before standing straight, seizing his coffee mug and stalking into his galley kitchen. Normally, he didn't do this, and when he did he would always regret it later, at least for the sake of his professional pride, but right now, he needed a shot of Jack Daniels.

He was just raising the spiked coffee to his lips, when his ears caught a noise. He froze, hearing it go off again. His golden eyes widened. He dropped the mug carelessly into the sink and dashed back to his computer.

_Access Granted_. The success screen blinked off, and data began to fly over the screen at a rapid pace. It was a practical defense mechanism, scrolling through the data packet too fast for the infiltrator to record or remember, but Rin's intellectually-based powers and astounding memory helped him keep up. He leaned in close, staring intensely. He couldn't miss this; he had to get as much as he could. But the speed was picking up, and his console was whirring louder every second.

**Facilities. Mutants. X gene. Splicing. Progress 2:11 ratio. Testing. Aug. 10****th****. Relocation. Lincoln, Nebraska.**

The words flew by, pushing even Rin's mind to the limit as he tried to take in anything important that he managed to catch.

**Subject numbers: 325567; 325569; 325574; 325598; 325602. Section designation: "Hound."**

**Subject numbers: 489388; 489393; 489399; 489401. Section designation: "Prime."**

**Subject numbers: 664697; 664703; 664708; 664713; 664714. Section designation: "Splice." **

**Subject number: 000000. Section designation: "Veil." **

The console below the desk was beginning to cough and sputter. Rin ignored it. His eyes were beginning to water as he attempted to keep up with the fizzling screen.

**Third… quarter – quarter…testing to commence…Aut-t-t-thorization confirmed: Board of…Directors.**

"Board?" Rin hissed. The console began to whine loudly, almost reaching a screaming pitch.

**Testing… Facility …Locations: Mo – ****_SD*9#HG?E460)%$#3SDF!^3$&43uo32#a3452edewe!_**

Rin reared back as the screen flashed blinding white before it popped black, a puff of acrid smoke and sparks erupting upward. He rubbed vigorously at his burning eyes, looking up in a squint at his ruined, overloaded computer. The faint reek of smoke smelled like failure. It smelled like 'just that close'.

"Fuck," he whispered.

* * *

Lindi scratched quietly away at her Algebra sheet, trying to ignore the never-ending ticking of the clock on the back wall of her family's tiny farmhouse. Her free hand tangled in the hem of her white blouse, desperate for some kind of anchor. Lately, time seemed meaningless, never stopping but never having consequence. She dropped her pencil and sat back, staring around her home blankly.

It was bland, really. All the colors were shades of grey or white, the furniture plain and standard. A simple black television was in the corner, and short tan carpet covered the floor. The table she sat at was plastic and metal, undecorated and keeping with the blank slate theme of the house. Living out in the mutant districts, a supposedly dangerous place, a minimalist style for the housing could be considered logical. But there was no sense of home, no sense of comfort in this empty place. How Lindi longed for just the slightest splash of sky-blue, or a summery yellow, on the walls. The only traces of decoration were a few pictures on the walls, from before. She had only been in her pre-teens then. She stared at one of her and her mother; they were sitting on the back lawn of their old farm, mother reclining in the sun, and daughter with her nose buried in a book. Lindi smiled a little.

"Lindi," barked an irritated voice. She turned in her seat to see her brother immerging from the back hallway. "Where's Dad?" he asked gruffly.

She shrugged. "Probably out supervising the fields. You know he works late in the summer," she said, turning back to her schoolwork. "What did you want him for?"

Sergio smirked. "Got a call from the region foreman about Dad's request for another mutant on the farm to replace that bitch we had before."

Lindi almost had to bite her lip to resist stiffening up defensively. "I wish you wouldn't call her that," she growled, her pencil biting deeper into the paper.

"What the hell else should I call her?" he replied insolently, going into the narrow kitchen. "She was a mutie that could change into a dog, and she was as disrespectful as they come. Bitch seems like an appropriate title to me. Anyway, it's not like it matters. I'd bet money she's been dead for months now."

"It didn't matter if she was a 'mutie'; she was still a thinking and feeling person."

"Oh, so mutants are people, huh?" he asked sarcastically, coming out of the kitchen with an orange. "Those things out there that have freak powers, and who drove this country to shit, they're _people_?" he said with a sneer.

Lindi stood up, glaring as she started shoving her school books back into a cabinet. "You know, I don't get the bullshit about the powers. You've never dreamed about flying, or running at super speed? How come we can read comic books and love those, but when actual people with powers come along, they're suddenly minions of the devil?" She slammed the cupboard doors shut. "And who ever said it was their entire fault that all this happened?" she asked as she whirled around.

Sergio scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You're such a mutie lover, Lindi. Don't think I don't know about you and the bitch, and that little BFF crap you had going," he hissed, glaring at her. "The difference is that those freaks are real, and they could wipe us all out whenever they have a shitty day at work!"

"Oh, so the logical conclusion to that is to abuse them and lock them up, am I right?!" she asked, whipping her head around to glare at him.

"No. If it was up to me, we'd knock them off now and be done with it!"

Lindi froze with her mouth half open. She drew away rapidly from her brother. She stared at him with huge eyes as she spoke again. "You do know you're talking about genocide, right? That you're talking about killing men, women, and kids because they're different from us? What kind of psycho are you?!" she yelled.

Sergio slammed his fist on the table. "Well, better us than them! Would you rather be out there, Lindi, working as slaves to them?! Or would you rather be wiped out?!" he yelled right back. The frantic, hateful tone in his voice sent a shiver down his sister's spine.

Lindi threw her hands up, skirting around him. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you! Do you even know what you're saying?! You know what, I don't wanna know! Just…stay away from me!"

"Where are you going?" he snarled as she ripped the screen door open.

"Away from you, you freak!" she hissed, slamming the door behind her.

"Curfew is in less than an hour, idiot!" he yelled after her.

"Like that ever stops you from sneaking out!" she shot back as his voice grew quieter behind her. "I'll be back later!"

Lindi kept walking, trying to deny that she was shaken. She'd always known Sergio was a bully and even a coward, even to the point she'd hit him over the head with a fire extinguisher to help her friend escape, but this… She hadn't imagined that hatred in his eyes. How could he despise mutants so much? They had never caused harm to him or their family personally. Was fear all it took to inspire this much revilement? Lindi could feel the invisible walls closing around her again, so she sprinted off. She needed some distraction.

Her mind was already on mutants. She thought of something she could do in that regard. There had been a brief summer cold going around, both among the humans and mutants of the region. Maybe she could get a few cough drops, or something similar to her group, just to make sure that if they did catch the bug that it wouldn't hamper them in their work and get them in trouble. A bit of good food wouldn't be a bad thing either. Lindi peered up. Thankfully, the sun was setting late in the middle of summer. Even with the curfew in effect, people tended to ignore it until it was officially dark.

Lindi jogged on, heading out of the human neighborhood and into the area with the more official buildings. She passed the foreman's office at the entrance, and moved into the narrow paths between big, square storage buildings and maintenance shops. Her destination was one of many of these.

She entered through a small door on the nearest side, coming into a small office area. The left corner held a desk, while the right corner had a locked door in it.

She dug out her ID card and handed it to the desk attendant, who, after glancing briefly at the card, got up to unlock the door for her.

Beyond the door was an extension of hallways leading through the storage building, doors lining the walls. Lindi made her way through until she arrived at a door with a black 36 painted on it. A card scanner was set in the wall to the right of it. A green light lit up as she ran her ID through it, and the lock clicked open, allowing her entry into her family's storage room. The monthly rations of food and home supplies were put here by the shipments department for her family's access whenever they needed it. Lindi grabbed one of the black duffels. She would need to be sparing with what she took. Her family often had spares at the end of the month, but she couldn't take as much as would be noticed, or would run the supplies out before the next ration was delivered.

She took just a few apples and a whole grain loaf; not much, but better than what her self-proclaimed charges were getting. Lindi debated for a minute, before grabbing a small hunk of cheese. Then she made her way back out. The medical storage was a little farther into the storage building, but no harder to get into. She just needed to be careful; medicine was stored as a general supply for the entire community, not just a specific family, and usually required a legitimate reason to take it. It would be best not to be spotted taking any at all.

Lindi was balancing on one of the cabinet counters, trying to reach a bottle of Advil way in the back, when she heard voices outside of the door. She dropped quickly to the floor, trying to be as quiet as possible. Thankfully, there were no windows into the room, so she couldn't be seen, but there was nowhere to hide in case someone came in. Her best bet was to look like she was searching for something trivial, like a spare thermometer or something. She dropped down to the lower cabinets, ready to lie her ass off while keeping her ears trained to the sounds outside.

Footsteps shuffled closer, moving at a leisurely pace, unhurried. Voices rose, and she was able to catch their conversation.

"How the hell do you think I feel about this? I paid good money for it, I'm not just gonna roll over to some unseen bureaucrat and give it up for some experiment."

"You know, I hear there's going to be compensation for that, maybe even replacements of the same value. It's just this batch that's going out, what with all of the uprising lately."

Lindi grew very still. This wasn't right; she could feel it in her gut. She listened harder, hoping against hope the two men weren't going to come in here. She froze as they drew up close to the door, but then seemed to stop, probably just hanging out in the corridor talking.

The first man spoke again. "Well, if that's the case, I wouldn't mind so much. Might actually be better. My mutant's really slacking these days. That injury last summer cost a shitload to fix, and the thing's been going worse and worse ever since. Maybe a new one would work out for the best. But you said this was just a rumor?"

"Man, the whole thing's a rumor. For all I know, none of it's true. I just heard what's been circling around, that what with all of the issues with the mutants here, they're gonna get transferred to some training camp, or experimentation facility somewhere, in the next couple of weeks I think; at the least one week. The order came from some higher government that we know nothing about."

Lindi, who had begun to relax a bit, felt her breath die halfway out of her lungs, her eyes widening in horror. She sidled swiftly to the door, desperate not to miss a thing. The footsteps had resumed, moving off down the hall. She pressed her ear to the smooth surface.

"Experimentation facility? Like the one on the south border that got trashed in the attack?"

The second man scoffed. "That place is like a middle school science lab compared to what the government's got a hold of, from what I hear. Again, just a rumor, but I've got a feeling that that one is pretty close to the truth. I almost feel bad for the mutants," he said.

"I couldn't give a damn, as long as they get the crazy ones out of here. My friend Jake is a guard in the compounds, and he's starting to freak. Says they get more hostile every day. I'd rather not be around them when they blow up."

"I agree with you there," his friend said, their voices going quieter as they supposedly rounded the corner at the end of the hall.

Lindi blinked, fear crawling up her throat. At first, her brain was still trying to process what had been said. Then the panic set in as she collapsed back against the door.

_"Oh my God. They're going to take them away! Wha…What am I going to do?!"_ Her mind raced as her hands shook. Somehow, this had completely blindsided her. In her head, she had somehow never doubted that either Kota would return for them, or they would find their own way out eventually. Lindi didn't pause over the implied _we. _If Kota had come, she wouldn't have hesitated to follow her and the mutants away from here. Now… time was up. The man had said a few weeks at best. At worst, mere _days._

_"Oh God. Oh God, oh God." _She dropped her head into her hands. She could see the faces of the mutants she inexplicably cared for, despite the fact that they'd hardly talked. All she knew was that they were people, people who didn't deserve the hands fate had dealt them. Leo, Benj, Jesse, Tyler, Strobe… none of the mutants deserved what was coming, because it _was _coming. It didn't matter that the man had declared it merely a rumor; something about this just rang of inevitable doom. She internally flinched at the vision of the mutants she saw in the camps strapped to cold, metal tables, having unspeakable things inflicted on them.

Next to come to mind was Kota, as Lindi had last seen her: dirty, slightly bloodied, fierce defiance and wild craving for freedom burning in her green eyes. Her breath caught again at the vivid image. They had made promises to one another, and she'd never doubted her friend would keep them. But now she realized that even if Kota had intended to come back, there were so many things that could have stopped her, death the worst of the possibilities. Maybe she was preparing to come back. Maybe she was rallying others together to come help them. But chances were the effort would be too late.

Lindi leaned back against the door, trying to rein in her panic and her despair. _"I'm going to fail," _she thought miserably as she closed her eyes.

_"No."_

The single word was small, and felt ridiculously foolish, but it rang with gargantuan stubbornness. Or determination.

_"No, I'm not."_

Lindi opened her eyes, a glare beginning to creep into her expression. Her fists clenched.

_"Goddammit, look at you," _she thought to herself. _"Why are you sitting here, crying like there's nothing else to do? Do something!"_

Lindi sucked in a breath. She had a sneaking suspicion she had just completely snapped, and the sudden, overwhelming anger and mad conviction was just the first bout of insanity, but she knew just as surely that she wasn't going to stop it. She jumped up, grabbing the duffel and getting out of there as fast as possible.

She forced herself down to a walk as she left the building and headed home, remaining as calm as possible. It was an admirable feat, as at the same time, her mind was a hurricane of nerves and adrenaline, trying to wrangle out a plan that had seared into her head the moment rational thought seemed to leave it.

She pushed open the door of her home, looking around.

"Mom?" she called as normally as she could. As she had hoped, there was no answer. Her mother was probably still at the management office, filing off reports of the district work progress. Thankfully, Sergio seemed to have vanished as well. Lindi didn't hesitate to sprint to the rear of the house, into her parents' bedroom. She skirted the bed, heading straight for a single picture on the nightstand, one of her parents' wedding. Keeping her ears out for an opening door, or the sound of footsteps, Lindi picked up the frame and flipped it. It only took the right tapping and a slide for the back to come loose. Her father's spare ID card slipped from the hiding place and into her palm. Still riding the wave of her supposed mental instability, she stuffed it in her back pocket and headed back out to the living room.

"Where were you?"

Lindi bit back a shriek of fear, spinning around, wide-eyed, to face Sergio, who appeared to have just entered. His eyes were narrowed, staring at her intently, like a snake pinning a bird with its gaze.

Lindi gulped in a breath, forcing herself to sound angry rather than scared stiff. "Like I said earlier, staying away from you." He raised his eyebrows disbelievingly, so she elaborated, desperate to get out of here. "I went by storage, grabbed some things," she said, gesturing to the duffel that she'd placed on the table. "And where did you go?"

He shrugged, not letting up on the unwavering stare. "I was with some of the guys, having what fun you can have around this place. Decided to come back for some coffee. Why were you in Mom and Dad's room?"

Lindi's mouth flapped once before she thought up the best excuse she could think of under pressure. "I was looking for one of my books. I was reading it yesterday, and now I can't find it. It's not there, so I'm going to go back out, see if I left it in one of my spots," she said carelessly as she drifted toward the door.

"Need some help looking?" he asked mockingly. She cast a glance back at him. He was smirking.

"Nope. Still not talking to you, so don't bother!" she growled back, hoping he hadn't heard the faintest squeak of nerves at the end of the supposedly aloof sentence. She slammed the door behind her in a repeat of earlier, hoping it added something positive to her performance. Once she knew she was out of sight of the house, she took off back to the storage building.

Popping back in, she informed the desk attendant that she'd 'forgot something' in as uninterested a tone as she could manage. The moment she was through the locked entry, she headed for the rear of the building, where rooms of lockers and personal storage units were situated. She checked the watch on her wrist. It was almost time for the daily shift to end, and soon the building would be full of human workers coming back in, filling this place as they dropped off their equipment. Nevertheless, this was also the best time to be here, if she moved fast enough. No one would be back there.

She entered the third locker area cautiously, not sure where those two men from her earlier visit had gone. Seeing no one, she hurried inside to the fifth row. She searched until she found locker 58. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew her father's card, and swiped it through the slot. A small green light blinked on, and the locker door swung open. The locker contained a few average things: Band-Aids, snacks, some spare things for his work that could fit in the space. But she knew what she was looking for. Lindi sifted rapidly through the clutter, getting more frantic when she couldn't find it. A grim thought occurred to her. Her father was forgetful, but there was always the chance that he had remembered to turn it back into the foreman. It had been months since the attack. Maybe someone had reminded him?

It was when she was feeling along the top shelf in the locker that her fingers found a small, familiar shape. She withdrew it quickly, stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans, and then shut the locker. The bang of the door from the hasty closing sent Lindi scurrying as fast as she could from the room. Even so, a sense of crazy relief and anticipation filled her up all the way out of the building and back toward her home. When she was sure no one was looking, she felt the shape in her pocket, assuring herself that it was there, and that she was actually going through with this. Yes, she surely must have gone insane.

Honestly, Lindi didn't care.

* * *

God, Lindi hoped this worked.

She walked forward to join the group of deliverers at the gates of the pen where mutants were put during break. With the cold going around, the mutant handlers couldn't have work slow down at the busiest time of the year, so the slaves were provided daily supplements to treat symptoms, and those that were not yet infected were given mild antibiotics to keep them that way. It was the best way to get her message through, but she would have to do it cleverly. The guards were always watching.

As they began to clear the deliverers through the gate, Lindi inhaled deeply. She could see the guards searching bags thoroughly and running metal detector wands over the people about to enter the pen, checking for things that shouldn't be there. She reminded herself that what she was hiding wouldn't be detected by the scanners, nor would the hand-searchers look where she had hidden it. Nevertheless, her heart was pounding in her throat when it became her turn to be searched. She felt shaky when she was waved through, after what felt like an unusually long amount of time.

There they were, at their usual spot. She could feel the guard watching as the deliverers went about their jobs. Time was running out, and she only had one shot really to get this right.

She set down her duffel at the table, zipping it open and beginning to take out the medication. She didn't offer them her usual small smile, and she knew they were watching her a bit strangely. Did she look nervous?

_"It doesn't matter. Now or never," _she thought resolutely. Reaching up, trying to appear absentminded, she swiped away the piece of hair that hung free from the bun on top of her head. Quick as she could, she slipped her fingers into the knot of hair and found the rougher texture of a piece of paper, folded and hidden within the bundle of blonde strands. Out it came with as easy a swipe as she could manner, hidden in her slightly fisted hand. She reached back into the duffel and took out the last small bottle of antibiotics. She passed it wordlessly to Benj, who was eyeing her. She didn't place it on the table, and when he realized this, he moved to take it directly from her hand. As soon as his fingers touched the container, she transferred both it and the paper into his hand. His green eyes darted up to hers, but she barely shook her head.

"Wait until night," she whispered as quietly as she could, before gathering her bag and heading back out. She held her breath until the gate clanged shut behind her. No alarm had been raised, and no one had shouted. The next stage was up to the mutants; she'd done all she could. She sincerely hoped it – no, everything – had been enough.

* * *

The moment Benj had felt the slip of paper in his hands he had known something was going on. No, he knew the moment he saw Lindi up close. The tight, closed expression on her face wasn't like anything he'd seen from her before. Then the look she'd given him when she'd passed him the paper, it had screamed of trying to convey a message he couldn't interpret through just one brief look. In that moment, Benj couldn't remember a time where he'd more wished to have his powers at his command. Not even all, just one of the three – his telepathy. But he could read enough with common sense to follow her single instruction. He had tucked the paper into the waistband of his pants, and throughout the rest of the burning, weary day, waited impatiently for the sun to fall.

And now at last, the twilight was beginning to fade to complete black, and the mutants were herded back to the bunkers. Having caught onto their brother and friend's anticipatory mood, the group moved compliantly into their own bunks as the guards checked the rooms and made sure all were accounted for. At last, the lights inside the huts were shut down.

"What's going on Benj?" Tyler asked the moment they knew they were alone.

"I don't know yet," the younger mutant said in reply. He withdrew the paper from where he'd hidden it, and shifted closer to the window as he tried to read it. It was a very brief note.

_Come to the south corner graveyard tonight, after the first check-over. I have something important to tell you. Please trust me on this._

_- Lindi_

Benj looked up. "Lindi wants me – or us – to go to Bones's graveyard after the first check-over. She says she has something to tell us," he said quietly as he passed the note around.

Tyler's eyes narrowed as he read the words for himself. "Sounds painfully like some kind of lure or trap to me," he said, passing the note on.

"I don't know," Jesse whispered. "She's never been that kind, not that I've seen. And something seemed really off about her earlier."

"What other reason would there be to call us to the graveyard?" Tyler replied.

Leo replied with a note of curiosity creeping into his tone. "What reason would there be to trap us? We're already locked up, it's not like there'd be anything to gain from luring us out."

"For fun," Tyler grunted. "We're a bit too far into the compound for it to happen to us, but you all know perfectly well that those little jerks out on the human side like to sneak in now and again, harass some mutants to make themselves feel like King of the Mountain. This could just be another kind of trick for fun," he said grimly.

"Oh, come on," Benj said, a note of anger creeping into his voice. "Why would someone who wants to see us punished and humiliated for amusement sneak us good things to eat, or hell, why would someone like that ever smile or say a word to us?"

His older brother sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe you're right, and I'm not judging her fairly. There are still other reasons. Maybe she's being put up to something by force, or without her knowledge? We can't trust anything within these city walls, outside of each other. After all that's happened, I'd think you all would have learned a bit more caution," he said in a reprimanding tone.

Leo narrowed his eyes, before looking down at the note that had been passed around to him. _Trust me_, she was asking. His nose twitched, his stronger senses that were not fully restrained by the collar on his neck picking up something faint lingering on the paper. There were traces of fear there, left when Lindi had written it, but there was also a kind of desperation, and anger. It didn't seem like something that a cruel little prankster would be feeling. Maybe Tyler was right, and she was being manipulated somehow, but if that was true, wasn't it better to know? On one hand, there was the risk of being caught in a trap, a foolish pawn playing right into a manipulator's grasp. On the other hand, they could stay put, blindly waiting for some unknown factor to blindside them when they could have been warned of it.

"I think we should check it out," he declared.

Tyler's head whipped towards him. Leo could see the faint glint of light reflecting off of his brother's fangs as a bared his teeth.

_"No," _the eldest mutant growled firmly. Leo drew back a bit. Tyler's infamous temper had been a thing to remember before they had become slaves here. Leo's and Benj's wariness of it had faded a little, as Tyler seemed to become more docile, more relenting to fate the worse things got. It was back all of a sudden, and it really emphasized the fact that Tyler was the oldest, and therefore in charge. The red-skinned mutant's tail twitched in agitation. "Nobody is going out there."

"Come on, Tyler," Jesse stared to talk, but he was abruptly cut off.

"I said no one is going. Even if it isn't some kind of trick, it's too dangerous out there."

Leo scoffed, beginning to glare. "We're seventeen, not five, Ty," he said. "We know it's dangerous out there, but something's up, and it would be smart if we knew about it, even if it is some kind of trap," he stated stubbornly.

Tyler shot him a wry glance. "Kinda strange that you're so eager to go meet with a human, after how you've been acting lately." The comment was pointed, and glaringly obvious. Leo, though, had never been one to back down from words.

"Yeah, the bastard humans that torture us for their own sick jollies."

"What if it is something important?" Benj asked. "What if something major is going on that we don't know about? This might be an opportunity to figure it out. Leo and I can go together, watch each other's backs."

"Yeah," Leo said, backing up Benj's defense. "The collar doesn't fully restrain my senses; I'll be able to tell if something's up and avoid getting caught if we're careful."

Tyler growled under his breath, but he started thinking. Even with his insistence that they ignore the summons, something was telling him Benj was right. It wasn't just the events of today, but of every day since the attack in January that stirred the uneasiness in his gut. Those interviews by the strange man in the black car, the increased work load that hadn't ceased once things were fixed, the rising aggression in the slaves…

He sighed, running a hand over his bald head. He turned to Leo. "Alright then. But I'm coming along. We stick real close to the shadows, and if anything at all seems suspicious or off, we get the hell out," he grumbled at his brothers, whose anticipatory grins were slowly widening.

"Relax _hermano_," Leo said, falling back into their former habit of lapsing into Spanish among themselves, just like in the old days. "We know what to do. Besides, the worrying doesn't do much for your scary, big brother image. You sound too much like Mom," he continued with a cheeky, but at the same time bittersweet grin.

Tyler snorted. "Yeah, right. If Mom were here, she'd tie you to the bed before she let you go out there. In fact, I think she'd kick my ass for letting you," he said with a grimace. Jesse let out an amused cough of laughter. Tyler turned to their friend. "You stay here. I'm obligated to keep an eye on these two, but three is already pushing it. I don't think four would go unnoticed for long." Jesse shifted, looking both relieved and uncomfortable, not liking to be left behind while his friends were heading into a possibly dangerous situation.

Benj and Leo shot each other glances, excitement and nerves expressed clearly in both. Nevertheless, they were resolved to investigate, so they settled into silence, waiting for the right time. The tension spiked as the minutes ticked away.

After what seemed like hours of nervous waiting, the first check-over came around. The boys closed their eyes and breathed deeply as a flashlight beam shone through the window of their small bunker, the light glancing over each bed before moving on. The darkness returned.

The Dysons slipped from their bunks, moving to the door. The locks on the doors were easy enough to crack, but they were superfluous anyway. What mutant wanted to set foot outside at night, when any and all likely escape routes were sealed water-tight to those with no powers and no weapons, not to mention severely outnumbered?

"Good luck," Jesse said, sitting bolt upright. Tyler and Benj nodded in response, and Leo gave him a half-hearted thumbs-up. The lock clicked, and the trio slipped out into the open.

The mutant compound was a patchwork of dark spaces, and areas blazing like the day under giant floodlights, especially the edges along the fence. The three mutants stayed at the center of the compound, where the most shadows lay, darting swiftly and silently through the narrow chunks of darkness. Leo took point, his ears and nose staying trained for anyone approaching. Occasionally he would detect a guard patrolling nearby, and he would stop them, lowering into the shade and going as still as possible. He tried not to take unnecessary risks when he moved them, but they only had two hours before the next check-over; they couldn't afford the delays.

Eventually, the dangerous game of red light-green light drew to a close. Leo spotted the great dark patch ahead that was Bones's lot. No lights were placed there; the south corner was only bordered by even more fence, and beyond that, the human dwellings and guardhouses. Besides, a graveyard was never an ideal destination for anyone on a dark night like this.

The brothers gratefully allowed themselves to be swallowed in the blackness. Leo's slightly keener eyesight kept him from bumping into the off-kilter crosses stuck in the ground, and he directed the other two around the obstacles. Still, whenever one of them caught a foot or toe and let out a grunt, they would all freeze, waiting for a blare of alarms or some kind of sign that they were discovered. None came.

Leo sniffed deeply, stiffening up as he smelled a musty, decaying scent. He whirled to the left, watching as a shape came closer. It was too long and thin to be Lindi, and by the smell, it could only leave one other option.

Bones stared at the trio vacantly for a moment, before raising a finger to point toward the bordering fence. "Someone is waiting for you," he mumbled uninterestedly. When they hesitated, the decaying creature turned about and shuffled onward aimlessly, saying over his shoulder, "I won't speak of this."

Leo paused, before he glanced toward the fence and motioned them all forward. They approached slowly, circling around to come in from the darker side. Leo inhaled the air again, trying to catch any unfamiliar scents. There were none.

A pale shape came into view, waiting on the other side of the chain-link. He prowled forward, the faint patter of footsteps telling him that the other two were right behind him.

Lindi heard nothing as they drew close, and it was only when she heard a faint growl did she spin around, her eyes huge. Her gaze met a pair of amber orbs shining at her from the gloom on the other side of the fence.

"Leo," she breathed faintly. He said nothing, only stared with catlike intensity. Beside him, another shape seemed to materialize out of the dark; Benj. Then the third figure showed itself, horned head and palely glinting fangs reminiscent of any childhood nightmare monster crawled from beneath the bed. All three brothers had come, and they were all eyeing her warily. She swallowed and drew herself up, before reaching into her jacket pocket.

"I need to tell you something, and I need to give you this," she said plainly, pulling something out in her fisted hand. She stuck it through the fence holes, and opened her palm for them to see.

It was a key, a small, knobby key that didn't belong to any door or padlock. At first, they showed no recognition, but when they did realize what it was she held their eyes widened almost simultaneously.

"What?" Tyler asked the single word question, summing up all that their thoughts could manage at the moment. Of all the things they had anticipated from this meeting, this was not among them. Why was she bringing this? Was this even real?"

Lindi continued to hold out the manual key to the mutant collars, ignoring their dumbfounded expressions as everything she had to say rushed out of her. "You all need to escape, you and your friends," she said desperately as she drew a bit closer to the fence. A cold breeze whipped her blonde hair in the wind, framing her wide eyes and pleading face. "I…I overheard some men talking yesterday. They said that they'd heard the mutants in Lincoln are going to be taken away, to some base or experimentation facility far from here in only a few weeks, at the very least only one. When I found out, I couldn't stand by anymore. I needed to get you out of here." She continued to hold out the key, until they managed to get a hold of themselves. Benj was the first to reach out; she dropped the key into his open palm without hesitation. "Use that, and get your group out of here."

Tyler glanced at the instrument to freedom, and then to girl that had given it to them. He could hardly believe this, even though it was obvious it was reality, and not some dream. It was that fact that brought the suspicion back, even as he could hear the sincerity in the girl's voice.

"Why?" he asked harshly. "Why would you risk yourself to help us? We've hardly ever talked to you." He drew closer to the fence, looming quite a few inches taller than her, but she didn't back away or show much fear.

Lindi's eyes grew wistful. "For Kota," she said simply.

"Kota? How do you know her?" he asked warily.

Lindi sighed. "My father was her owner, and she was my friend. In the attack all those months ago, I helped her escape from here. I promised to watch over you guys, and she promised to come back and help get you all free. I still think she's out there, trying to do that, but time's been cut short. This is our…_your _last chance," she fumbled slightly. "Also," she said after a brief pause, "I guess I just came to care about you guys, about all the mutants here. You don't deserve this life of slavery, and I want to help you get free," she said, defiance coming into her voice.

"I know that there's no real reason for you to believe me, or to trust me. But you _can_ trust me," she whispered desperately, both hands gripping the fence now. "I can't take it anymore! The injustice, the people that are being hurt… I want out of all of this. I realized that when I helped Kota get away from here." Lindi gulped; the faintest gleam of tears was in her green eyes. "Please believe me, I want to help you any way I can, before it's too late. Otherwise…I couldn't live with myself for standing by when I could have done something," she pleaded.

The brothers looked at each other. There was no faking that kind of emotion. And even if she was that great an actress, truthfully, they didn't want to distrust her anymore.

Tyler went back through her words. Fear, temporarily held back by distrust and an undeniable hope with the presentation of the key, came flooding back in. They were going to be shipped out, to some hidden place where they would be turned into little better than lab rats. His blue eyes flew to his brothers, who were still getting past their initial euphoria. It had been a bitter struggle trying to keep his family together the past years of trial and sorrow, but now, something was coming that he couldn't protect them from; something he doubted he could guide them through this time. He turned back to Lindi.

"You said we had at the very least a week before we're taken," he said, voice hoarse from trying to stay calm and collected. He saw Leo and Benj sobering up fast at his side as their attention was swayed from salvation to the present crisis. Lindi nodded. The tall mutant growled under his breath. "Do you have any solutions? We're grateful for your effort so far, and your willingness to help, but that key will only do so much. It won't free everyone," he said grimly.

Sadness crept over Lindi's face. "No, it can't. It's only a standard key, one my dad used when he still owned Kota. It won't open the specialty collars on the mutants with transporting powers, and it can't free the higher Alpha grade mutants. I'm just trying to help who I can, a group small enough that can sneak out if I use some of my outside knowledge and resources, like my ID card. If I can get a few of you out of here, then maybe you can find the mutants outside, find Kota, get some help back here. With your powers you'd at least have a fighting chance," she said emphatically.

The brothers shared glances. Tyler glanced down at the key clutched in Benj's hand. His fingers twitched, longing to grab it, free the three of them from the wretched collars, and bolt. A part of him asked what was wrong with that. Hadn't he sworn to his mother, to Pablo, to always watch out for his brothers, even before all this mess? If he meant to keep that promise, splitting this hell hole is exactly what he would order them to do.

But then he caught Leo glancing back toward the lights of the bunkers. Tyler had no doubt their thoughts were going to the same places. To Jesse, to Strobe, to all of the mutants there, and to mutants like the one just a few days ago in the tunnels, all those sent to death because of their rebellion.

"We can't," Leo concluded out loud. He sounded strained, like some inner voice was screaming its disagreement at him. He swallowed forcefully. "If we go now, even to get help, we might not make it back in time."

Benj nodded, closing the key into his fist. He cast a look at his eldest brother, but the slump of Tyler's shoulders said that he wasn't going to protest. He shot a smirk of gallows humor to Lindi, whose face had become distressed. "Sorry, Lindi," he said. "We could still use your help, but it's an all or nothing deal. We can't just run."

Her reply was a distressed hiss that cracked mid-sentence. "Please, get out while you can! I don't have what it would take to get you all out, however much I want to!"

Benj was about to talk again, when Leo nudged him. The red-haired teen had begun sniffing the air again. "We're running out of time," Leo growled. "We have to get back before second check-over, or we're screwed." He turned to Lindi. "We'll think about it. Can you be back here again tomorrow night, same time?" The girl opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it again, nodding silently.

"Good. We'll let you know the plan then," he said.

The girl blew out a breath, before beginning to back away. "Okay. Tomorrow night," she said wearily.

"Lindi." She turned back at the call. Through the fence, Leo and Benj gave her grins, while Tyler gave her an appreciative nod. "Thanks," Benj said with all the genuine sincerity both he and his brothers felt. Then they fell back, melting back into the darkness.

Lindi smiled, before hurrying home through the early morning gloom. Things were far from over, but there was still hope.

* * *

_I'd like to thank _**Muse of Storytelling, dawnoftheceruleansky, Seed of Destruction, Arian Eripmav, Stormplains, Rex123, Ticks n' Wiggles **_(formerly_** super garurumon**_)_**, KA, silverstarsofquebec, jinx1211, FrostyKoala, **_and_** Obsidian the Ghost Faced **_for their reviews. Your enjoyment of the story makes it worthwhile to write, and makes hours spent fretting over a wrong-sounding paragraph totally worth it. _

**_Next Chapter: _**_Strong temptations and a risky endeavor. _


	19. Best Laid Plans: Part II

**X2: Survivors**

"No way," Jesse said numbly for perhaps the fourth time since the Dysons had returned from their secret meeting. He turned the key over in his hands again, running his thumb along the ridges and smooth surfaces of the small object. He reached up and fiddled with the collar around his neck, as if it had become ten times more uncomfortable just to tempt him into taking it off. He looked up at his friends grimly, though, having already mulled his way through everything they had told him and come to the same conclusion they had. "This isn't going to get everyone out, no matter how awesome this is."

"We know," Leo said, sitting up in his bunk. The second check over had just recently passed, leaving them free to talk.

Jesse glanced between the key and his friends. "So what does this mean? Do we leave, or try to help?"

Tyler sighed. "We're not sure yet. None of us want to run out on the others, but there might not be a way to save them. Look, it's late, and we need to sleep if we're going to stay on our feet tomorrow. We'll talk about this later."

"If the guards ever give us a free moment alone," Leo grumbled. Still, they all knew Tyler was right. Jesse glanced down at the key still clutched in his hand, reluctant to let it out of his grasp, but he knew he wouldn't risk carrying it with him to work tomorrow. Rolling over, he reached downward to where he knew there was a slight rip in his thin mattress, near the rail headboard. Finding it, he slipped the key into the hole, and then settled back as he tried to sleep. It was more difficult than he had thought. It felt like a cold spot was burning into his back from within the mattress, and the collar felt like it was choking him. Even when sleep did come, the four of them were consumed in dreams of crumbling fences and wide open landscapes.

The moment the morning wake-up call was sounded, they all knew they were going to be paying for the late hours, even Jesse, who, even though he had remained behind, hadn't slept a wink until his friends had returned. They shuffled along with the crowd to the wash house first, hurrying through brushing their teeth and other basic hygiene needs, before moving to the compound gates, where one of the foremen stood, waiting to give them their work for the day.

"Section 16," the man called loudly, indicating the group Jesse and the Dysons belonged in, "will be in Factory 3, metal works."

"Well, that's not so bad," Benj said with a slight, weary grin; metal works was one of the things he enjoyed, even in this place. Jesse also looked rather pleased.

The gates buzzed open, and the crowd of mutants split apart onto different paths leading to various areas of the business district. Section 16 turned right down a wide dirt path that skirted closely along the fence surrounding the residential district. Ahead were the large manufacturing plants where mass production of all every day products took place.

The moment they entered Factory 3, the large doors fell shut behind them, and the lights on their collars blinked off. The air around Tyler immediately began to heat up, and Leo stretched, feeling his inhuman strength returning to his limbs. According to their powers or skills, each mutant was sent to a certain part of the facility. With glances at one another, the Dysons and Jesse split apart, heading to their different jobs.

Leo padded along with four other mutants that were headed for the same job as he was. He tried to ignore the cacophony of noise around him. One advantage the collar afforded him was some relief from the extreme noise level. For now though, he would just have to put up with it.

Today it seemed he would be working on thermal spraying, coating finished metal materials with a strengthening alloy. That meant the big protective suits. He entered the space that contained them, reaching for one that hung on the rack.

A slight bump to the shoulder had him whirling around, on the verge of using his powers in surprise. His eyes met a pale green gaze. Strobe hushed him, looking around to make sure the guards weren't near enough.

"We need to talk," she hissed. "Once we start working, it should be safe."

"Um, okay," Leo said, blinking in surprise. Did everyone have something to share today?

Soon bedecked in baggy protective suits, dark goggles, and thick gloves, the five mutants were each handed a spray torch, pointed at individual metal objects to be sprayed and finished, and told to start. Leo saw the end of the torch glow before a jet of molten plasma shot from the end, beginning to coat the metal surface in front of him.

He felt someone drawing close to him, and then over the roar of the plasma jets, he could hear a voice speaking to him.

"Can you hear me?"

He nodded, knowing he was probably the only one that could. It was as secure a place to talk as any in the daylight. "What's up?" he asked, glancing to the suit shrouded figure beside him, which appeared to be focused on its own work. When he spoke, the covered head turned slightly in his direction. Leo got the distinct feeling that Strobe was staring very intently at him, even though her eyes were hidden.

"Yesterday, when I was working in the fields, I heard the guards talking. There's a rumor going around; it says that the mutants here are going to be shipped out somewhere, and soon."

Leo stiffened. His hands clenched tighter around his torch as his heart rate sped up.

"I heard," he croaked back to her.

"Do you think it's true?" she asked urgently, anger and fear lacing her words.

Leo was only half paying attention. The news was spreading. Again, only a rumor, but it wasn't just some inane piece of gossip to be ignored. It wasn't something they could risk dismissing.

"Leo!" she barked. A sudden snap of light in front of his face caused him to flinch, and a pulse of heat to spread through his body from the center of his chest. Around here, the sensation was normally just a vague tingle almost constantly running through his skin, but up this close when someone used their powers, it always intensified.

"Do you have to do that?" he grumbled, rubbing at his chest through the suit. "You know what happens when you do that up close. And I _was _listening, just so you know."

"How are you so calm about this?" she asked, voice strained and high. "Do you know what this means for us? Hell, ignore the fact that we're being sent some place unknown that could be far worse than this place, how do you think the others will react when this starts getting around?" Her voice had begun to steadily rise with her increasingly frantic words.

"Shh!" Leo hissed, eyes swiveling to the guards. Had they heard? They weren't moving from their positions, so it didn't look like it.

Even as he attempted to remain calm, though, his thoughts had come to another screeching halt. Strobe had touched on something they hadn't considered. Tensions were already straining; what would happen now that this rumor was spreading? If Strobe had already heard then it was only a short matter of time before they all knew. He felt backed into a corner, because it seemed that their deadline had been cut even further. Leo's head switched to look at her.

"Things are about to explode. If this gets around to enough of the slaves…" he said slowly, coming to the damning realization.

"Then there will be a revolt," Strobe finished grimly. "It won't matter what they'll be risking; they won't stand for it, not without a fight."

It was true. He knew this because, if not for last night's occurrences, had _he_ heard this rumor, he would have revolted alongside everyone else, the consequences be hanged. His hands gripped even tighter around the torch handle. Despite the painful cracks in his knuckles, he could just barely hear the straining metal beneath his palms. An unintentional growl rose in his throat.

"No," he hissed. "This can't happen, not now!" Though the words were directed at himself, he hadn't bothered to lower his voice.

"What are you talking about?" Strobe questioned pointedly. They were only just aware enough to hear the call to stop their work momentarily. They did so, frozen up at first, believing they had been caught talking. To their relief, it was only new objects being brought to them along a conveyor belt. They had barely restarted their work when Leo spoke again. He had no real doubts about whether or not he would tell Strobe about last night; he trusted her implicitly. Under cover of the noise, he told her about Lindi's message and gift.

"Jesus," Strobe grunted, both disbelief and awe in her voice. "Pretty ballsy move on her part. Chick's got guts. But I still don't get how you could get a key handed to you, and you don't take immediate advantage of it," she said dryly.

"Do we really seem that cowardly to you, that we'd just take off and leave you all here?" Leo asked, a little offended by the slight condescendence in her tone.

Strobe sighed. "No, you don't, but it would have been smarter to be cowards. One key isn't going to save everyone."

"Yeah, we covered that," Leo said back. "And we also covered that we aren't going to run and let everyone else get shipped out, or shot for rebellion."

He just knew Strobe was rolling her eyes. "You and your goddamn hero complex," she said exasperatedly, a smirk in her voice. Then her words grew sharper. "Alright then, Braveheart, what's the plan so far?"

Leo shifted his head to the side, questioning, but she cut him off before he could speak. "Are you honestly surprised? C'mon, what's the plan?"

He twitched uncomfortably. "Well…nothing so far," he admitted.

A snort escaped the other's welding mask. "Our fearless leader, everyone," she chuckled. Leo's nose twitched. Fear was drifting off of his friend, no matter how well her snarky words hid it. He reached out to lightly touch her arm, earning him a masked glare. He ignored it.

"I'm glad I can be such an amusement to you," he joked lightly. The tense set of her shoulders relaxed some, encouraging him. He continued, trying to sound confidant and organized. "We just have to work with what we've got so far. We have one person on the outside to help in possession of a low-level key card, and one standard collar key." He waited, silently prompting her into mapping out their options with him.

"We've already figured out that what we've got so far isn't enough to get everyone out," Strobe complied, "at least, not on a time grid that includes forceful relocation and the eventual uprising of angry slaves that are outnumbered and outgunned."

"Then we don't escape," Leo concluded. "Not without help."

Strobe gave a small nod. "Lindi told you she thinks that there are outsiders that would be willing to help. We need to contact them somehow."

"Exactly," Leo said. "Now all we need to do is figure out how to do that."

"Oh, _that'll_ be a walk in the park," Strobe said, practically oozing sarcasm.

At the opposite end of the factory, Benj was sat in a stool placed at the side of a long work bench where several mutants, like him, were busy shaping small pieces of metal into essential machinery parts on whirring band saws. Normally, he allowed the sounds of metal working and the small fountains of sparks around the place to lull him into a sense of peace. This was something he enjoyed, and not even slavery could stop that. Today, though, he was thinking hard about last night, and about what could be done about their gloomy predicament and looming deadline.

He tried not to drop the unshaped piece of steel from his hands when he felt a strong nudge in his head. Leo was trying to contact him. He opened up the metaphorical doors to the telepathic and empathic link they shared, allowing his brother's words to fill his head.

_"Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it fast. Just take a peek around and I think you'll get why."_

Benj was confused, up until the point that he followed Leo's advice, straying from his brother's thoughts and instead peeking into the many working minds around him. At first he found nothing he hadn't felt before, sensing the boiling undercurrent of tension and rage that was common in the minds of the mutants these days. But as he came across certain minds, he began to see dark images and a fury and fear that was far stronger than he had felt before.

_"Some of them know," _he replied, subdued, back across the connection.

_"Yeah. Found out about that from Strobe; she's heard the rumor too. You can probably tell a lot easier than I can. How long do you think it'll take before they blow up?" _Leo asked.

Benj sighed audibly, trying to maintain his focus on his work, even with a doomed deadline now snapping at their heels and causing his stomach to clench. _"Not long. Not long at all." _His mental voice mimicked his mood, sounding dry and strained.

_"Like I said, we've got to get a game play together, and fast."_

_"Should I include the others in this conversation?" _Benj asked. He felt the assent, and stretched his mind out, searching for Tyler and Jesse somewhere in the factory. He found Tyler working at welding, and Jesse was monitoring the iffy assembly line equipment, keeping it functioning properly. It would be difficult keeping up the four-way conversation and working at the same time, but Benj was willing to take the risk of a slight slack in his work. The moment the other two were included, he laid the problem out flat, allowing the rising ire in the few members of the mutant population who were aware of their approaching fate flood through the connections.

_"Oh crap," _Jesse huffed in a tone that might have been used to implore the heavens 'why us?'

_"Well, that throws a wrench in things," _Tyler said wearily.

_"I know," _Leo said. _"If some of them know already, it's only a short time before everyone does. We don't have time to form an escape plan, unless we just pass the key around and make a break for it."_

_"Uhhh, not doable," _Jesse replied. _"The guards outnumber us, and even with our powers, they have enough guns to turn more than half of us into Swiss cheese before we even make it to the wall."_

_"Yeah, yeah, Strobe and I went over that," _was the reply. _"We can't make it out of here without more help. Lindi swears Kota's out there. We just have to get a message out. Is there anyone with the right powers that can do that?"_

Tyler had been listening, his mental words withheld as he thought over their options. He now spoke. _"Mutants with transporting powers have specialty collars that we won't be able to unlock, and as far as I know, Benj is the only telepath among us." _

_"But I don't have the kind of range we'd need. Unless the nearest mutant army is within ten miles of us, I won't be able to reach anyone," _Benj said, frustration coloring his thoughts.

_"What about you, Jesse?" _Leo asked, a similar, increasingly urgent frustration bleeding through the mental connection. _"You've got power over technology. Could you, I don't know, make some kind of signal, like a Morse code thing, or an SOS?"_

_"Not unless the mutants out there have the technology to receive it," _came the subdued reply.

_"God damn it!"_ A very inhuman growl sounded through Leo's connection. Benj stiffened up, trying not to let his own emotions combined with Leo's overpower him.

_"Hold it, Leo! I have to think," _Jesse thought rapidly. Some of the great jumbling of thoughts could be felt by the other conversers as the Australian teen's super powered brain began working overtime. _"Maybe not alone our powers wouldn't get us out, at least not in enough time. Together, together somehow. God, the answer is _here_ somewhere, I just can't see it! Technological contact is too small a possibility; we can't get transporters, so Benj is the most likely option. He just doesn't have the range. So how do we…"_

There was a pause that lasted for several long moments. Leo and Tyler were about to ask what was up, but Benj hushed them. Jesse had just stopped all of a sudden, not yet sharing his thoughts. And then his thought process began to speed up again, and Benj felt a rush of goose bumps traveling down his body. Jesse was getting excited.

_"TYLER!" _The sudden cry was practically a mental scream, and they all winced. _"Sorry. Tyler, you're near the north corner, right?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"The windows near the ceiling there, you can see out of them, right?" _he asked frantically.

_"Yeah," _came the same confused reply.

_"What's out there?"_

They all were silent as Tyler, supposedly, peered out of the windows.

_"Not much," _he replied slowly. _"I can see the tops of a few energy towers, a bit of the top of the wall, and the satellite dish on top of the guard tower."_

Jesse started to babble with rapidity, sounding as incoherent and euphoric as the most excited kid on Christmas morning. _"Yeah…yes, this could do it! We just need to figure out the guard rotations at night, find a way to get up there unnoticed, need enough time to make it up there."_

Leo couldn't take the vagueness anymore. The excitement was taking over him too, even though he didn't know what on earth his friend was talking about. _"What are you talking about, man? What's the plan?!"_

_"The satellite is the ticket!" _Jesse replied. _"You guys remember all the X-Men stories and myths?" _Affirmation was his reply, as he finally unveiled his master plan.

_"You guys heard the one about that machine, Cerebro?"_

Suddenly, hope was back in full swing.

* * *

_Later that night_

Lindi stared wide-eyed at Leo through the fence. He was alone, and he had just told her Jesse's master plan. When she didn't speak for a minute, Leo continued on, more fervently this time. "I know it's a crazy risk, but it's the only thing we can do in the time we have."

"No, I know," she said quietly. "I think it's the best plan we could get on such short notice. What do you want me to do?" she asked resolutely.

Leo's lips twitched in a smile. "You know the outside area best, where all the guard posts are, what the safest way is. Ty and I are staying back. It'll be up to you to get Benj and Jesse where they need to go."

Lindi stiffened a bit, fear raising goose bumps on her arm. "Why are you staying behind?"

"Our bunk can't be empty at the check-overs, and we don't exactly have enough bedding to pull the pillow dummy trick."

Lindi nodded, breathing deeply. She wouldn't hesitate now, not after going so far already, not after they finally had some kind of plan. "Okay, then. When?"

"Tomorrow night," he said.

She gaped a bit. "That soon?"

"It has to be. The rumor is spreading back here, and the peace isn't going to keep for long. Benj was keeping track of it all day. They're learning about it fast, but so far they don't have a plan or anything. He reckons we have a few days, week and a half maybe. If we're going to expect any help before things blow up, we need to go for it as soon as possible," he said. "If we can pull this off, we'll try to get the word around that we've called for help, but not until after. We can't risk this getting around."

"I'll be ready." Even though the girl's voice was small, and her face had gone rather white, she still stood straight and determined. Leo shot her another grin, this one a bit gentler than the first.

"We're gonna do this," he said confidently, brandishing an empowering fist jokingly.

"Go team," Lindi said faintly, mimicking his gesture. A loud snort was the reply as he nodded, before Leo turned about and headed back, still chuckling, into the darkness.

* * *

It was almost time.

Another day of work had passed, and the sun was beginning to lower once more. For some reason, the dark orange color seemed more ominous as it painted the sky.

Doors slammed, locks clicked, and the sky went dark.

Within one of the cabins, breath began to speed up. "You ready?"

"Yep," was the steeling reply. Jesse's mattress squealed as he twisted and withdrew the key. With a shiver of both fear and anticipation, he raised the small item to his neck, probing for the lock. The thin metal end of the key slipped into the narrow slot, and with a deep breath, Jesse turned it.

The quick click and snap seemed so loud in the small space. Jesse couldn't help but let out the smallest of whimpers as the metal ring dropped away, flopping silently onto the mattress. For a moment, the boy couldn't really move or process. He sat silently, hand slowly rising to his neck and rubbing at the chafed skin. The slight breeze, let in through the drafty walls of the bunker, tingled over the skin that had been covered so long. It felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before.

"You have to try this," he murmured, awestruck, dumbly passing the key along to his friends. Several more snaps sounded, and sighs rose as they could feel their powers flowing through their veins again. But the ecstasy of the small freedom couldn't be enjoyed for long.

"Clock's running," Tyler said solemnly. "You'd better get going." His ice-blue eyes were fixed intently on the two younger teens. Even with a face as fearsome as his, the worry couldn't be disguised.

"We've got this, Ty," Benj said confidently. His older brother said nothing, merely nodding. The faulty lock was bypassed, and the two young men plunged once more into danger.

Benj and Jesse's progress was much slower this night. Without Leo's superior senses, they had to move with even greater caution, until the pace reduced to nearly excruciating levels. But tonight, they wouldn't have to concern themselves with the check-over. It was a bit of a risk, but it was a bet they couldn't afford to lose either way.

Once more they entered Bones graveyard, sliding through the darkness at a near sprint now. The fence rose in their view, signifying the end of the first stage. After this, it was going to get a whole lot more tricky.

Again, Lindi was there waiting, dressed in dark jeans and a black hoodie. She glanced up hurriedly at the sound of footsteps, but relaxed a bit more when she saw it was who it should be.

"We're ready," Jesse said fiercely as rubbed his hands together, eager to put his nerves aside and just plunge ahead. The waiting was over now, and it was all up to their performance tonight.

Lindi nodded, seeming to toughen herself up as well. "Good. Is the fence going to be a problem," she asked worriedly, glancing upward at the tall fence between them, barbed wire trimming the top.

"It won't be," Benj said in a determined voice. "Stand back." He gestured toward her, and she hurried back several steps.

"Uh, dude, are you sure about this?" Jesse asked nervously. "I really don't wanna go flying face-first into that wire."

"I've got this," Benj said firmly, "now don't distract me." He emphasized the request by shutting his eyes tight. Inhaling deeply several times, he abruptly threw his arms up, releasing his primary power.

Jesse clamped back the yelp as a sudden, strong blast of wind seemed to shoot up from the ground. The great force of air sucked the breath from his lungs as he felt his feet leave the ground in what almost seemed like a bad take-off on an extra springy trampoline. The world was a brief whirl of grey, black, and distant lights before he rather painfully hit the ground again on his rear, on the opposite side of the fence.

"Man, you've got to work on your landings, mate," he winced as he sat up, rubbing his tailbone. Benj was staggering up beside him, massaging his equally sore shoulder.

"Time for that later," the blonde grunted, before turning to Lindi, who was staring at them, caught between impressed, nervous, and amused. "Lead the way."

With one last brief moment to collect her courage, Lindi waved them forward, and the trio moved deeper into the danger zone, moving west along the fence toward the working districts.

To their slight surprise, Lindi led them off track after just a few minutes, guiding them toward a large truck that had been abandoned just off of the dirt roadway. She beckoned them forward as she opened up the driver's side door and clambered into the cab. They followed, shutting the door quietly behind them. The two boys blinked as a sudden light snapped on. Lindi moved the flashlight downward, pointing it at a piece of paper she had withdrawn from her pocket.

"If we're going to do this without getting caught, we need to find the best way. Safety, not speed," she whispered hurriedly. "I drew up as good a map as I could, marking off guard posts and stuff, but there are some areas I've never been in, or I'm not really familiar with. I need you guys to help mark off what we can."

Jesse and Benj nodded, leaning over the hastily drawn map, different areas and buildings depicted as accurate a map as they could have hoped for. They considered it for a moment, before Benj pointed to an area in the factory section. "There's a guard post there; we pass it all the time." Lindi nodded, whipping out a pencil and checking off the spot. A moment later, Jesse added another point.

Five minutes later, the three examined the result.

"Okay," Benj murmured, adjusting the map a little. "We're still on the south side of the fence, about right here," he said, circling the spot he believed they were located. "If we kept moving west for a bit, we'd hit a point where we could make a straight, northwest shot to the guard tower with the satellite," he said.

"But we have to avoid the guard posts as much as we can. There are two of them right next to the route," Jesse said, pointing them out.

Lindi nodded. "Don't worry. I know a detour that can take us unseen past the first one, without going too far off the way."

Jesse jumped in. "And I've got a detour for the second one."

"And getting up the wall to the actual satellite?" Benj questioned.

"The way the guards get up into the post on the wall is inside the wall itself, a winch lift I think, but there's a service ladder on the side there. Thing is, it probably has guards, either on the bottom or the top," Lindi replied.

"Well, we can't just take them out," Benj thought out loud. "If we planned not to get busted, we can't be leaving unconscious bodies behind us."

"Lindi," Jesse asked swiftly, "do the guards usually carry walkie-talkies, or comm. links, stuff like that?"

"Yeah, I've seen them," she affirmed.

"Good, 'cause I've got a distraction in mind," Jesse said with a grin. "Now we've just got to get there."

"Let's go then," Benj said, popping the cab door. Lindi shut down the flashlight, and the three of them clambered back out.

As they cleared the south end of the fence, they came to the first section to pass. The box-like dwellings of the human residents stood before them, lined up in strict rows with even spacing between them.

"We've got to be real careful here," Lindi whispered. "A bunch of the teenagers like sneaking out at night; it's like the replacement for video games or something." Her companions nodded their understanding before they moved off, crouching as much as they could. Some of the houses' windows still had lights in them. As they passed one house a dog began barking furiously, sending the trio fleeing into the shadows in the narrow walk space between the two neighboring houses.

"You two ever been TPing?" Jesse asked. They cast him a look and he shrugged. "What? It just felt similar, just way more dangerous. Like, instead of getting some old lady shouting at you, we could, y'know, get shot or something."

"Thanks for the thought, Jesse," Benj muttered as he began to move forward again. "It gives me warm, fuzzy feelings in my gut."

"_Wait!_" Lindi hissed, suddenly dragging the tall boy back into the shade. They all froze as the sound of voices approached. Lindi's eyes grew wide.

"Oh God, Sergio's with them. My brother," she whispered in answer to their questioning looks. "Get back!" she implored, moving them in reverse. They shrank back against the wall, praying that the relative darkness would be enough to hide them.

The snickers reached their ears as footsteps drew closer to their little alley hiding place.

"Yeah right," came one mocking voice, and by the tensing Benj could feel beside him in Lindi's shoulders, this voice belonged to Sergio. "My sister's a mutie lover. If she found out about her precious mutants being shipped out, she'd probably cry into her pillow for a week."

"Lindi actually _likes_ those things?" asked one of his friends incredulously.

"Totally," Sergio snorted. "Had a whole buddy thing going with the mutant we used to have. Gets all mad whenever I say anything 'wrong' about the freak."

The footsteps were about level with them now. The three hidden teens pressed even closer to the shadows. Benj could hear the whirlwind of Lindi's frightened thoughts, combined with a surprisingly powerful hatred for her sibling. Benj couldn't imagine holding that kind of repellence for his brothers. When he heard Jesse's thoughts, if the situation hadn't been so dangerous, he would have snorted at the desperate _you don't see me, you don't see me, I am a ninja_ mantra running through his friend's brain.

The noises were very clear now, as the trio watching wide-eyed as about six teenagers walked past, only a few yards away. If Benj had leaned over and stretched his arm, he could have touched one of them.

"C'mon," said a new voice. "Might as well have some fun with the mutants. We've left off it for a while; they won't be expecting it." A few more chuckles followed the statement as they moved off.

The trio let out a deep breath of relief before Jesse spoke. "No offense Lindi, but your brother's an ass."

"Don't I know it," she mumbled bitterly, before standing and leading them off again.

Just as the houses began to fall behind them, Lindi gestured to the left. "We should move east on the detour, or we're gonna bump into the guard house."

The three darted across the long dirt path, taking off along a side road that led through the warehouse and storage buildings. Again keeping low, they prowled through the passages. Lindi halted them for a moment, pointing to where a light shone nearby above a small white bunker: the guard post. She waved them forward; they needed to move a bit faster now.

Beyond the warehouses they crossed another main pathway into the factory district, skirting another guard house around behind a metal works shop. They were heading straight north now. The looming shadow of the wall was straight ahead, and far above, they could barely see the red blinking light that sat atop the rotating satellite.

"The ladder's up ahead," Lindi whispered, pulling them to another halt. They slipped behind a ramp leading up to one of the loading doors in the back of the factory they had just skirted. Ahead, they could just see another red blinking light, which faintly illuminated the dark forms of two armed guards. Behind them was a plain door set in an outward jut of the wall.

Benj grew very still, before turning to the other two. "Two down here, and another two guys up top: one at the ladder, another inside the guard booth."

Jesse rubbed his hands together, his eyes suddenly wide. "The best we can hope for is that they'll all head back into the booth, give us just enough time to get up there and out of sight. We're gonna have to be as fast as we can," he muttered, fear creeping back into his voice.

"We've got this," Benj said firmly, bouncing his leg up and down, ready to spring out. Jesse held out a hand, face scrunching in concentration.

For several moments, nothing happened. Then the guards looked at the radios attached to their shoulders in confusion. One of them took it off its attachment and shook it next to his ear.

"What the hell? My radio's freaking out," he grumbled.

"Yeah, mine too," the other man said, tapping at the device in frustration. "Steinman? Allen, can you hear us?" The man looked to his partner. "Can't hear a thing from upstairs."

His partner grunted, before moving toward the door. "I'll check it out. You stay here, try not to fall asleep."

The two mutants and the girl stiffened. Damn it! They watched in trepidation as the second guard shifted, before shrugging. "Yeah, whatever. Bring me back some coffee then, if you're so worried about me kicking off."

"On it," the first guard said as he ran his card through the access slot by the door, and then slipped inside.

"What now?" Lindi mouthed hopelessly. They all considered, before Benj squared his shoulders.

"We're just going to have to do this the old-fashioned way," he growled. "Be ready to run when a say." He reached down, picked up a small rock from the dusty ground, and then darted forward, clinging to the shadows. Lindi and Jesse waited with baited breath as Benj's barely discernible figure slid closer to the guard. There was a faint whistle of air as the small rock flew through the air off west along the wall. It impacted a fair distance off, cracking faintly against the concrete wall. The guard immediately stood to attention.

"Who's there?" he barked quietly as he drew out his sidearm. When nothing replied, he began moving off stealthily, leaving the service ladder exposed.

Benj waved wildly to his friends, before he leapt onto the ladder and began climbing. The faintest of clanks behind him told him that Lindi and Jesse were right behind, having scrambled over the open space like mad before the guard could turn back and see them.

"Go fast!" Benj hissed to them, and they picked up the pace, scrambling up the metal rungs as fast as they could.

"Okay, stop!" They all froze, each peering down cautiously. The guard was moving back into place, having found nothing, and was staring obliviously into the seemingly calm night. All it took was a glance upwards, and he'd immediately see three dark figures clinging to the ladder.

"Quiet and slow," Benj breathed behind him, before tentatively moving a foot up and placing it noiselessly on the next rung. Lindi followed behind him exactly, while Jesse fought to keep his concentration on messing with the guards' radio frequencies as he climbed, occasionally glancing down nervously. The snail-like progress jigged and bounced on their already straining nerves, but there was no way to go now but forward.

"Hey, uh, Benj?" Jesse questioned in a small voice. "After this, how exactly are we going to get back?"

Benj paused, before shaking his head. "I don't know. We'll figure that out when we get to it."

"Oh, great," Jesse huffed, face growing even paler.

"We're almost at the top," Lindi whispered. "Benj?"

Benj checked briefly, before replying. "They're all still in the guard booth. This is our chance. Keep it up for a bit longer, Jesse."

Peering over the top of the ladder, Benj didn't see anyone, as he'd suspected. He could, however, see the silhouettes of three men inside the booth behind the blinds over the window.

"Clear," Benj said before hopping up. The guard booth was built into one side of a great block of concrete on top of the wall, like a large dais of some kind, a little over a story high. On top of it was set the metal legs of the satellite tower, with the dish on top.

Just as Benj was creeping forward, the door leading out of the guard booth swung open. He froze, a deer caught in headlights, staring petrified as a strip of light fell over him. He heard a faint gasp from Lindi that was swiftly silenced by Jesse. They watched in despair as a tall shadow loomed in the doorframe.

"C'mon, I said I'd bring him coffee," said the amused voice of the first guard from down below. Benj swallowed, barely noticing that the man still had his face turned inward, talking to the other guards.

"Oh, leave him, Dan. Kid spends too much time up here anyway, mooching the coffee when he should be working. Just let him stew for a bit." Dan paused, considering.

_"MOVE YOU IDIOT, HIDE!" _screamed a voice in Benj's head. Barely in control of himself, operating only on raw survival instinct, Benj lunged forward, diving around the corner of the concrete base. He froze again at the faint scuffing his feet made against the stone. He hoped to God that Lindi and Jesse had ducked down out of sight.

He watched, breathless, as the shadow of Dan turned and peered out. Maybe he had heard the noise Benj had made? Whether or not he had, it didn't matter, as a moment later Dan grunted out an amused 'You're right; the kid needs to learn some humility', before turning back to join his friends. The door shut with a sharp snap.

Benj collapsed on his back, silently gasping in relief. He sent a prayer up to the heavens, thanking the Lord Almighty that the sprint and heart-pounding terror of the moment before hadn't triggered an asthma attack. A moment later he heard tapping footsteps join him.

"You nearly gave us heart attacks, Benj!" Jesse squeaked. "After this, I'm never trusting you with the all-clear ever again!"

"Guys, come on!" Lindi urged, pointing toward their goal. Quickly, Jesse hauled Benj up, following Lindi up another short ladder to the base of the satellite tower.

"One more climb," Jesse said wearily, this time leading the way up another ladder leading to the dish platform up top. Benj brought up the rear. A sharp breeze whipped his pale hair from his turquoise eyes. It felt good. They never got such strong breezes down in the districts; the wall and too many buildings blocked it. A random thread of curiosity entered Benj's mind, causing him to peer over his shoulder. His breath caught.

He could see beyond the wall. The land close to the feet of the great barrier didn't interest him, some abandoned suburbs and such. What caught his eye was the landscape miles beyond, the emptier regions. Here and there he caught an old road or freeway cutting through the dark indigo of the nighttime grass, like an illusion of a pale river. He could still see many remnants of abandoned civilization, but there were also trees, and hills, and grass. Far off he could barely see the dark, sky-bound mountains of cumulous clouds, maybe some passing storm miles away. Here though, a newborn crescent moon hung high among the stars, shining the faintest of silver light on them. Benj couldn't remember ever finding a sight such as this so beautiful.

"Come on, Benj," Lindi whispered softly, jolting him out of his trance. He turned back, nodding absently, his eyes still wide and starry. Lindi shot him a sad smile before they both began climbing again.

Jesse was waiting for them at the top, already running his hands over the dish and feed horn of the device. He glanced up at them, hope shining brightly in his smile.

"This is going to work," he breathed raggedly, practically shaking in excitement. He shot forward, dragging Benj forward. "Lindi, keep watch." The girl nodded, moving to the edge of the slowly spinning platform.

"What do I have to do?" Benj asked.

"Just use your mind," Jesse said as he placed one hand on the feed horn. "I can manipulate the dish to accept, read, and amplify your telepathic signals, which are basically just output electromagnetic signals from your brain. You just have to keep up the message until we rotate completely, and try to make it as strong as you can. We don't know if there are telepaths out there, so they all need to hear it."

"Just tell me when to go," Benj said, rolling his shoulders and raising his fingers toward his temples as he prepared to blast the message as hard as he could.

"Once we face north," Jesse said. "Then go."

Benj nodded, planting his feet. The satellite spun slowly, silently. The horn of the dish moved from southwest, to west, to northwest.

The silence was ripped apart with a powerful crack from far below. A gunshot was unmistakable.

The trio's gaze flew downward, back behind the wall. Their eyes were wide, hearts thumping, until Benj let out a despairing 'no'. Lindi's and Jesse's gaze flew to him as he put his hands to his head in despair as he listened with his mind.

"The teenagers," he muttered; his eyes were wide and empty. He turned slightly to Lindi. "Your brother. They went after the wrong mutants. They started the revolt," he whispered.

Lindi gasped, panic flooding her face. Jesse froze, beginning to shake a bit, before a stubborn glare crawled over his face.

"Send the message, Benj! This is our only chance!"

Benj met his friend's eyes. Barely touching his mind, the wild determination in the younger teen flooded through him. Stiffly, he nodded to Jesse, before slamming his eyes shut, putting his fingers to his temples, and concentrating with everything he had.

* * *

_Crack!_

Leo's head shot up, his steadily settling heart rate jumping back into hyper speed once more. The dragging minutes ensuing after Benj and Jesse's departure were bad enough, to say nothing of the brief flash of panic that had shot down the empathy link between Benj and Leo when the former had almost been caught. A loud, telepathic shout from Leo to move his ass had gotten Benj out of harm's way only just in time, and Leo had foolishly allowed himself to feel relief, he now realized.

Tyler had stiffened up as well. "A gunshot," he said darkly.

For a moment, nothing in the camp moved. Nothing breathed.

Then another crack sounded, followed by a scream. And just like that, just like during the attack all those months again, chaos tore the air.

The roars of angry voices began to fill the air, and they heard the sound of slamming; the sound of bodies trying to break down their locked, wooden doors. More gunshots began cracking the air.

"Come on!" Leo yelled, shooting from his bunk. His collar was off, and compared to his now great strength, the wooden door stood no chance. The door splintered off its frame, scattering wooden shards everywhere as the red-headed mutant plunged out into the broken night.

Floodlights suddenly bathed the whole of the mutant community in blazing white light, and sirens began to blare like screaming ghosts. The yelling from within the bunks grew in intensity. Crashes began to rise, and Leo saw other mutants beginning to shatter the locks or narrow windows of their bunkers. He even saw furious hands beginning to tear away the planks from the inside of the bunker wall across from him.

"Cat's out of the bag now," Tyler said grimly as he drew up beside his brother.

The two whirled to the side, staring towards the entrance to the mutant district. The sound of many running boots thundered toward them. Leo sniffed the air, his tail lashing as he smelled gun oil.

"Run!" Tyler snarled at him, shoving him on. "We need to stay out of their way." They took off, even if there was nowhere to hide in this whitewashed impound.

"What do we do?" Leo growled as they swung around another corner, altering their route as more gunshots began to go off nearby.

"It's too late now for all of us," Tyler said. "We need to find Strobe, get out of this impound, find Jesse and Benj, and get out. You still got the key?"

"Yeah," Leo said, brandishing it.

"Good. For the sake of the others, let's hope Benj got that message out; it might not be too late."

"TYLER, LOOK OUT!"

Tyler ducked, a bit of wooden wall shattering just behind where his head had been. His head whipped around, just catching the sight of a guard pointing a gun their way.

A deep throated, animalistic growl rumbled from Leo, who was already charging. The guard was fast, but Leo was faster. The mutant dodged the second bullet, barely missing it, before leaping into the air and sending the armed man flying with a powerful drop kick. Leo landed on all fours, snarling as he began to change. From where he crouched, Tyler could hear the cracking as his brother's spine lengthened, golden and red fur sprouting along his body, a great crimson mane swathing around his neck. Whipping his tail, Leo reared up, bronze claws and white fangs brandished as the temporarily stunned guard scrambled up. The wheezing man's eyes grew huge at the sight of the half-man, half lion standing nearly seven feet tall mere feet from him. Again, the gun came up in defense.

A great paw seized the gun barrel, decisively driving the butt back with a harsh _crack _into the guard's forehead. The man was too dazed to do anything as the lion mutant seized him by the back of the jacket, and then shoved him hard into the bunker wall to his right. The man collapsed, unconscious.

The brothers weren't clear yet. More boots thudded on the dirt ground as four more soldiers rounded the corner. With another roar, Leo charged toward them. He pounded shoulder first into the lead soldier, driving him back several feet and into the ground. The guns whirled, pointing at the lion.

Now that Tyler was on guard, he wasn't about to let his brother fight alone. The guards screamed and ran as a huge fireball flew from the red-skinned mutant's hands, exploding on the ground where they'd stood mere moments before. Tyler grinned, his shark-like teeth sparkling in the blazing light. It felt good to have the familiar heat completely under his command again. Charging forward, he caught one of the scrambling men going for his dropped firearm. A vicious punch to the head put him out of his senses. A follow-up harsh knee to the chest and elbow to the back of his skull put out his lights for what would undoubtedly be the rest of the night.

Leo snickered fiercely at the sight, still hardly distracted from the remaining two guards. Flying forward, Leo twisted into a cartwheeling handstand, his feet flying out and catching one of his opponents in the face. The snap of breaking cartilage and a brief spurt of blood caused the injured man to cry out, hand flying to his face. It gave Leo free rein to swipe the man's legs from under him as he came out of the handspring, before delivering a crushing punch to the head, putting him out of commission.

The final guard cried out in fear as a red, spaded tail wrapped around his rifle, yanking it away. The guard then doubled up as an arm that felt more like an iron rod collided with his abdomen. A blazing-hot hand seized ahold of the whimpering guard's hair, before slamming his head into the ground. The man slumped, as unconscious as his fellows.

"Now _that_ felt really good," Leo crowed, a lion's growl rumbling in his words.

"Maybe for now, but it won't be fun for long," Tyler said, peering around. Gunshots were splitting the air everywhere now. The narrow side path that the Dysons had fought on was still empty for now, but with sounds of approaching gunfire and yelling, it wouldn't be so for long. "We've got to find Strobe."

Leo threw his head up, sniffing for all he was worth. His ears flattened and his face scrunched. The air was already beginning to stink of blood.

"She's that way," he said, pointing. They took off again, leaving the unconscious guards where they lay.

The two mutants rounded another corner, and froze. One of the main thoroughfares lay before them, and there was complete pandemonium every way they looked. They both felt ice spike in their stomachs as they took in the rage-filled, wild faces of the mutants, who, even without their powers, charged the guards like rabid animals. Even as gunfire peppered some of them to the ground, it didn't stop the survivors from crashing through the guards ranks, beating, punching, kicking, even biting whatever they could reach. Whatever had caused that first gunshot, it had triggered the dormant volcano of fury in the mutant prisoners. Revolt had truly started.

Tyler abruptly dragged Leo down and to the side as bullets sprayed in their direction, kicking up dust. They pressed their backs behind another bunker, just beyond the slaughter.

"Where is she?" Tyler bit out.

"On the other side," Leo said grimly. The only way across was straight through the melee. They cast looks at each other, nodded, and then sprung out into the heaving fray.

Tyler flinched as he felt the ground kick up right next to his foot, the bullet just barely missing him. Even so, he sped on, Leo pelting along at his side. Absently, Tyler crashed into another scurrying body. He shoved past it, not caring at the moment whether it was human or mutant. The duo practically flew the last few yards into better shelter.

They found Strobe there, crouched behind one bunker that was partly torn through from the massive gunfire. Her eyes were wide and angry, and she brandished a long, jagged plank at them before she realized who they were.

"All for nothing," she hissed under her breath, almost dismissing their presence as despairing anger crawled over her drawn face. "It's too soon. The hope, the plans, the risks you all took, all for nothing," she spat bitterly.

Leo seized her roughly by the shoulder, hauling her up. "Not yet," he snapped back at her, bringing the key up to her neck. "We might have failed saving everyone, but we might still have a chance at freedom."

Strobe gaped momentarily when the collar fell off, but the Dysons didn't give her the chance to stall. Leo, keeping a firm grasp on Strobe's hand, led them off as they ran. They staggered in their sprint as they heard a loud screech off to the west.

"I think they just broke the gate," Tyler muttered. "Keep going. It's suicide going that way; we'll try to get over the fence somewhere safer. We need to find the others."

They ran north and west, keeping the distant sight of the wall and the faint red light on top of the satellite straight ahead of them. When they reached the fence, Leo slashed wildly at the metal links, tearing a gaping hole for them to dart through, unhindered.

Tyler's earlier assumption had been correct. The rioting mutants had indeed broken through the fence gate, tearing through the opposition and beginning to pour through the human residences, factories, and fields. The fleeing trio paid the destruction no mind, pressing on toward the wall, blocking out the screams and yells. There was nothing to do now, aside from die fighting. They weren't yet ready to accept that option. They plunged on. They had reached the factories by now, running through the narrow alleys, the wall looming close in their sight.

"Are they still on the wall?" Strobe asked, panting as she ran.

"I'll check," Leo said. _"Benj, I hope you got that message out." _He narrowed his eyes, nudging the mental link, trying to contact his brother. _"Benj, you there?! We have to get ou –"_

"STOP!" yelled a frantic voice, combined with Strobe's startled scream. Leo had barely heard the click of gun cocking and the direction it came from, and who was standing in that line of fire, before he shoved Strobe back, shifting places.

He heard the crack at the same time that pain exploded in his shoulder. The tortured roar escaped Leo's teeth against his will as he sank to the ground, paw grasping his left shoulder. Wet, fiery agony was crawling through his chest, shoulder and back, sending helpless shivers down his spine. He gritted his fangs. His first gunshot wound hurt more than he had ever imagined.

Another pained cry and a sickening thwack followed Leo's collapse. The moment his brother had fallen, Tyler had leapt forward, teeth bared in fury. The gun had been wrenched away before it was cracked mercilessly over the soldier's skull. Strobe had dropped down beside Leo, pressing her hand above his paw, trying to slow the blood flow. Anger and gratitude were mixed in her expression.

A swift thud came as Tyler dropped to his knees in front of Leo. Fear, worry, anger, self-hatred, and urgency created a tumultuous hurricane in his blue eyes as he grasped his brother on his uninjured shoulder.

"Leo," he said, half reassuringly, and almost half pleading. Leo's golden eyes blinked up at him. Even through the pain, the gaze was strong. "Can't stop now," Tyler said quietly. "You got this?"

Leo's lips pressed together, fighting back the pain, before he nodded stoically. He accepted Tyler's hand up, but they moved no further.

"Freeze, or die," spat out a cold voice. They turned. Their way was blocked, a new squad of soldiers moving into position in front of them. The damning tromps of footsteps behind told them that backtracking was useless. They had been trapped, completely and utterly.

* * *

_HELP US. WE NEED HELP. LINCOLN NEBRASKA. WE'LL BE SHIPPED AWAY. WE'RE IN REVOLT. WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPRISONED. WE'RE GOING TO DIE. HELP US! _

There was no eloquence, or formal tone, only the most desperate kind of pleading and all the fear and anger that Benj could throw out. _"Please, someone hear us. Please," _he begged, more to himself than part of the message.

A grunt escaped his clenched lips as the throbbing in his head intensified again. At first, it had been small enough to manage, but as he continued to blast the psychic message, the lashes of pain had steadily grown from discomfort toward pain. The strength of his psychic projection was straining his mind; it was so much more power than he'd ever used for so long before.

_"I won't fail now. So close…" _The stuttering mental words swore, even as Benj began to feel blood trickling down from his nose and over his lip. He wouldn't give up, even as the noises of chaos from the mutant district grew louder every second.

"Almost there, Benj!" Jesse called mercifully. "Just a little more!"

_"I've got this. I've got thi – _AAAHHHH!"

Lindi shrieked as Benj suddenly collapsed backward with a tortured yell, grasping at his shoulder in agony. "Leo, Ty…no," she heard him mumble, before a loud banging noise from below sent them to near panic.

"WHO'S UP THERE?!" howled a furious, panicked voice.

Lindi cried out again as a bullet clanged off the metal of the dish, only two feet to the right of her head. Jesse threw himself down, creating a much smaller target of himself, and army crawled to Benj.

"C'mon mate, what's wrong?" Jesse pleaded in a quiet, frightened voice.

Benj winced, eyes darting about. "Leo," he wheezed faintly, all hope draining from his voice. "Ty, Strobe. They've been caught. Leo got shot."

"_What_?!" Jesse gaped, his eyes widening in horror. He seized his friend's arm, beginning to drag him up. "We have to help, do something…"

They whipped around as Lindi screamed again, this time more urgently. They gasped. The torso of one of the guards below had appeared over the edge of the platform, face livid and red, and he had grabbed ahold of Lindi's arm, twisting it as she tried to writhe free. She sent a wild knuckle strike into his face, causing him to tip backward on the ladder. Desperate and cornered now, Benj surged forward and slammed a kick into the man's upper chest. A pathetic squeal of fear escaped his lips as he pitched backward hopelessly, before tumbling freely into empty air. Benj froze, shock creeping over his face.

Lindi grabbed him, dragging him the opposite way. "Benj, come on! Use your winds to get us out!"

"I don't think so," a low voice rasped darkly. The trio stopped dead. Another guard had made a risky move, climbing up on the opposite side away from the ladder just on the tower supports. He had cornered them between the ladder, from which they could already hear the sounds of more men coming, the dish, and himself blocking the way.

"You won't move another goddamn step, or I put one in your little girlfriend's head!" he spat viciously, moving the barrel to point at Lindi. She tensed, fear and hate flooding her eyes before she hurled back her own words, barely to be heard over the chaos below.

"Go ahead, then! Shoot me! It's not like there's any difference to people like you anymore! It's just Us and Them to you, and humans like me that can still see the humanity in mutants are no better than them in your eyes!" she screamed, repulsion in her tone. The man pointing the gun looked shocked upon realizing that the girl was no mutant. He paused, before the glare descended again, and the gun cocked.

"Alright then: two muties and a traitor. More for the chopping block then," the man laughed cruelly. He gestured to the two guards that had come up the ladder behind them. "Drag 'em back downstairs then, let 'em join their buddies, where they belong. They'll get what's coming to them."

Benj stared despairingly ahead as hands seized his arms, roughly yanking them behind his back. He held out for salvation with a sliver of hope, but as the cries from below began to grow fainter, he couldn't take any comfort in it. Even if the message had gone out for the most part, he still felt as though a noose was tightening around his neck.

Ahead of him, he heard the faintest of sounds. A sob. Lindi had her head hung, and he could see the glitter of a tear on her face.

"Lindi," he whispered brokenly. She turned, green eyes meeting blue as both their gazes shone with dread in the faint moonlight. "I'm so sorry."

Lindi let out another little choking sound, before she shook her head miserably. "We're all sorry." The dull whisper fell upon the air like a death knell as the trio was dragged back down from the wall, back into Hell to face their damnation.

* * *

_A/N: Finale buildup! Only three or four more chapters to go, guys!_

_Oh, and if anyone noticed that little bit up there, go ahead and make your Sparta jokes._

_I'd like to thank _**Arian Eripmav, S. Ruru **_(formerly Ticks 'n Wiggles/Super garurumon), _**Kairi Avalon, Stormplains, Rex123, Seeds of Destruction, **_and _**dawnoftheceruleansky **_for their reviews. Just so you know, I'll be handing out a bit of a reward to people who have reviewed every chapter of the story at the end of Survivors, so keep it up!_


	20. Keeping Promises

**X2: Survivors**

An explosion of fire lit up the predawn sky.

Wolverine spun on his heel, the long dormant thrill of battle pulsing through his veins once more. With a vicious flash, his claws separated the mechanical head of a Prowler from its shoulders. The machine released a pathetic squeal as it collapsed. As two more adversaries came charging toward him, jaws gaping wide, Logan could see a fiery comet plummeting straight toward them.

The two Prowlers were practically disintegrated as the collision blast from the comet landed right on top of them. Wolverine merely raised his arms, blocking the flecks of debris and shattered asphalt from hitting him in the eyes.

Phoenix groaned loudly, several winded cusses spitting out of her cut lips. She rolled over sorely, clambering from the mini-crater she'd created on impact. Even with blood trickling down from her mouth and the coating of dust over her black and gold uniform, she still blazed with an aura of violence.

"Watch your back, kid; you're leaving yourself wide open," Wolverine grunted.

"Shut up, old man!" she spat insolently, before rocketing back into the air. A great black shape was hovering overhead, awaiting her approach. Wolverine merely rolled his eyes, before turning back to the fight at hand.

"Hike!" yelled a voice off to the left. Logan was just in time to see another Prowler barreling toward Tcelfer. The teenager didn't move, at the last moment spreading his hands and creating one of his mirrors. The machine sailed through it, and the mirror's counterpart spiraled into existence in front of Limb instead. The Prowler exited as it had entered, claws and fangs bared. The implements were futile, though, against the psionic limbs that flew up to block the bites and slashes. Two blue hands seized both of the Prowler's gaping jaws, keeping them open. With a growl, Limb strained the two jaws further apart until with a fountain of sparks they ripped apart, separating the top of the Prowler's head from its lower jaw and neck. The Seeker leader flung the pieces to the side contemptuously, falling back into defensive stance as more approached.

Abruptly, more screeches from the killing machines rose as they detected new targets. Wolverine's head whipped about. The machines had zeroed in on Static and Amp, and the several shaking forms shielded behind them. Four Prowlers broke away from the main pack, pelting toward the two Seekers and their charges.

Wolverine wasn't about to let them get far. He shot after them, claws rising as he roared in challenge. The roar was met not with returned challenge, but with an equally fierce howl. A red-brown flash soared over Logan's head, landing on top of the lead Prowler. The hunting machine went from terrifying to pathetic as the great flesh and fur wolf crashed down on its shoulders. One wrench of clamped jaws totally separated the foremost part of the body of the Prowler from the hindquarters. Logan grinned as he made his own mark on the remaining machines.

"Go!" he called to the Seekers and the frightened mutants behind them. Static nodded, before sending a swift bolt into one of the struggling machines, shutting it down for good. She and Amp ushered the mutants onward, eager to clear the small, abandoned city and get to safety.

As soon as they were clear, Wolverine jumped back from his next lunging opponent. Instead of lashing back with equal ferocity, he instead turned his claws on the two support beams of the gas station he was now standing under. The supports creaked before the roof began to topple into the street where the Seekers fought against the machines.

"Timber!" cried Ballista, noticing the falling structure first. She tucked into a roll, darting beneath the Prowler she had been fighting, before jumping up and sprinting out of the crash zone. The Seekers followed her lead, backing away from their own fights with all swiftness.

The preceding smash was very satisfied, the squalling of most of the remaining Prowler pack as they were crushed adding to the appeal. However, there was one threat still remaining.

A distressed roar told Wolverine to duck just before Lotusfire crashed into him. The dragon mutant rolled over the ground, smoking ever so slightly. "Missile!" he cried, pointing frantically. The group whirled, spotting the streak barreling toward them.

A shriek and a flash of fire intercepted the incoming heat seeker mid-path, drawing its fire. Phoenix rocketed off east, towing the missile behind her. Unfortunately, that still left one very large, black-armored, red-eyed threat hanging in the air above them, and with the two fliers now distracted it was able to refocus targets.

"Shit, not again," growled the voice of Ballista. Quickly, relying on instinct as she tried not to think, she released a swell of power from her lungs. The blast of sound howled through the air, slamming into the Sentinel straight on. It reeled backward, tumbling through the air and downward. However, it was in much better condition than those that Ballista had taken down previously, and though damaged, it was not yet down. Ballista cringed, clutching her throat.

"That hurts worse every time," she rasped wearily, sounding awful. She glared as the shadow rose again. "I did my part, now Phoenix has to get off her ass and finish this thing," she growled.

"_Glad to comply," _was the overly sugary reply in Ballista's head. Heat and light returned as Phoenix bounded back into their midst, dropping from the air for just a brief moment, her hand snatching up one of the severed support posts from the tipped gas station. Hefting it like a spear, she tore back into the air. With a charged yell of effort, she hurled the jagged-ended beam like an Olympian in the javelin toss. A screech of metal rent the air as the pole wedged in between the slats of the monster's armor. It trembled violently at the great damage caused to its insides, giving Phoenix just the opening she needed to shoot in and deliver the _coup de grace _killing blow to the head. The Sentinel groaned, and then fell from the sky with a crash.

Phoenix descended as the rest of the Seekers gathered together, exchanging wearied compliments and congratulations at the morning's victory. Kota was still rubbing at her throat, wincing every few seconds. Limb walked up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder and ignoring her flinch at the contact.

"You okay, Kota?" he asked in concern. It was the third time she had used her sonic howl powers since her discovery of them, and each time, her discomfort seemed to grow.

Her green eyes flickered up to look at him. She grunted, removing her hand from her throat, which looked rather swollen to him. "Yeah. I think it just strains my vocal chords a lot," she mumbled. The obvious concern was making her uncomfortable. Donovan caught the irritation, and backed off respectfully.

"Just take it easy on that particular power. You've been saving the day a lot lately; you deserve a break." He shot her a brief smile before pulling ahead of her, towards the rest of the group. Kota's tail twitched. She couldn't help the slight flicker of pride, and a faint hope that flashed through her as she trotted to catch up. A leader's favor was something she valued, and especially at the moment. Favor was something she needed, especially now that the Seekers' mission was nearly at an end. She had decided just recently, just after the first Sentinel fight, that when they returned home, she was going to come forward to Limb and the team and state her problem and promise outright. In her mind, she had waited too long. It was about time she fulfilled that promise.

Limb looked about at his team. Most of them were bruised or bloodied, the exceptions being Hexenwolf and Wolverine, but they stood tall and not really the worse for wear. He turned to Amp and Static. "You got the others to safety?" he asked.

Static beamed proudly. "Yep, they're hunkered down with the rest."

Limb grinned. "Good. Then I think it's about time we went home, wouldn't you say?"

The comment was met with outlets of breath, not quite sighs, but a show of relief too obvious to mistake. Their Seeking mission had begun in late June. It was now approaching mid-August. After so long in the wilderness, so long plunging into danger to find mutants in need, the thought of safety and a sense of home had been too long in coming. Limb turned to Evangeline.

"Think you can get ahold of Jump?"

She snorted. "Yeah, unless he's still asleep, which I hope he isn't. They're a few hours ahead of us, lucky bastards."

Amp let out a brief laugh of his own. "Well, as long as we're here, and since getting back home is going to take most of the day, who else wants breakfast?"

* * *

Logan, as a person that generally wasn't introspective, wasn't sure what to feel or think about when it became his turn, midway through the day, to be transported back to the Seekers' base. Over the few weeks he had spent with the Seekers on their mission, he had been able to focus on the here and now. Now that he was going to really face the reality of all that had happened and changed, he found himself rapidly retreating from dark thoughts and feelings. He had enough of that relating to his own screwed up, half-forgotten life. So instead, he focused on how much he hated Tcelfer's mode of transport. Vague memories and reflexes rebelled wildly against being unable to move, and the dark coolness of the transportation period reminded him far too much of a dark laboratory, and the gloomy green hue of the experiment tank.

Then they emerged, with a rapid shift from cold to warm, and a flood of light that narrowed his eyes.

"No place like home," Tcelfer said tiredly, but with great relief as he stretched his arms above his head.

Wolverine looked around. All he could see was a mostly barren room with only a few couches and chairs, and the mirror they had just emerged from. A narrow window let in the afternoon light.

Tcelfer wandered over to the nearest couch and flopped down with a big, gusty sigh, throwing an arm over his eyes. Logan just stood, staring blankly at the kid. It wasn't until he heard Gabriel begin snoring that he figured he was going to be on his own. Personally, he was just fine with that. With a quick listen and sniff of the air, Logan left the room, following the greatest concentration of sounds and smells.

He came out on a landing, one that looked down to the ground floor, and the source of the trail he'd followed. Logan blinked. There were a lot more of them than he'd expected, and a lot of them seemed so…young. While no expert in genetics, Logan had hung around Xavier too long to not know the basics of mutation. It was supposedly triggered during puberty, or in extreme times of emotional stress. This was why Logan found himself wondering how there could be so many tiny children, many no more than toddlers that were already displaying signs of powers.

What had that goddamn Toxin _done_?

His keen ears twitched, catching a huff of displaced air back from the direction he'd come. After hearing it several times already today, he knew that it was Jump returning with another load of refugees. He was proven right, as several minutes later a gangling group came out of the hallway behind him, being ushered down the stairs to join the colony by Jump and Amp. Jump continued onward, directing the group along, while Amp hovered behind near Logan. The tall young man turned to look at the former X-Man.

"What do you think?" he asked casually, leaning up against the railing beside the shorter and much older mutant, looking down.

"There's a lotta kids," Logan grunted, coming off sounding more annoyed than anything else. Logan had helped train the teenage X-Men, and had mentored them well, but the really little kids? He tried not to touch those. Tantrums, drooling, and diapers were definitely not his speed.

Nikolai grunted, a twitch at the corner of his lips hinting at his amusement. "There _are_ a lot of them. It's practically all there is. Here, I am one of the eldest. Our oldest is twenty-four I believe. I suppose that's not the case anymore," he said, casting Logan another look. The two mutants observed as the newcomers began to merge with the colonists, the longer residents greeting the shy arrivals as they mingled.

"Enjoy your anonymity while you can," Nikolai said suddenly. "The new mutants have seen you use your powers, and they recognized you instantly."

"What do you mean?" Logan asked gruffly. The Russian turned to him with a smirk.

"The X-Men are near legends these days; it would be difficult to find a mutant alive in North America that doesn't know at least a little about you. They're probably spreading it around that one has come here right now," he said, gesturing downwards.

Now, that was a little surreal, Logan thought. Sure, he'd had a reputation in the underbelly of society since before he could really recall, but that came from most of his more vicious, violent traits and exploits. Now, though, he was being told that he was considered a legendary hero or something, and not just him; the whole team was considered as such. He couldn't help thinking that 'Crawler would have gotten a kick out of this. The brief thought triggered his next abrupt question.

"Where are they?"

Nikolai nodded, green eyes darkening. "I figured you would be asking about that. Now seems like the best time, while your presence is still somewhat unnoticed. Follow me," he motioned solemnly.

When Nikolai pointed out the door they had come to deep within the building's narrow corridors, Logan knew that this was it. Even through the sting of cold air drifting from beneath the door, he could smell them. He didn't hesitate, despite the cold claws that dug into his stomach. Neither pain nor his emotions had ever halted him before.

Stepping inside, the cold of the room supported the feeling of time having frozen in place, with no sign of thawing anytime soon. He stared blankly at the cryo-containers, each one containing a familiar face: friends, students, former enemies turned allies, all locked in icy sleep.

Logan turned a bit, seeing Nikolai still hovering in the hall. "What else happened while I was gone?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice.

Nikolai continued to stare around, his eyes distant as he called up what he knew that would be relevant to the older mutant. "Too much to tell it all shortly. I know Magneto was killed." Logan nodded dismissively; he'd seen it himself. He waited for Nikolai to continue.

"The Brotherhood is gone," the young man said. "They left Bayville shortly after things began to boil over. I remember seeing Avalanche being taken down on the news, along with the Blob. I don't know where the others went, but they were over the proper age to have the immunity. It's fairly safe to assume they didn't make it."

He paused before continuing. "I know that the sewer colony of Bayville, the Morlocks, most of them were taken, and probably suffered the fate of the Toxin as well."

That one hit Logan a little harder. Evan Daniels had been a part of that group. He had also been a former X-Man, and Ororo's nephew. Nikolai caught the stiffening of the Wolverine's shoulders.

"There are mutants out there who were over eighteen when the Toxin hit, yet still lived. It is rare, but always a possibility." It wasn't much of a reassurance. Logan wasn't the blindly optimistic type.

"I remember Donovan telling me that Sabertooth was killed by a giant pack of Prowlers, four years ago, I think." That one actually caused Logan to smirk. At least someone had gotten what they deserved. Logan only regretted not being there to watch, maybe even participate. Nikolai shrugged then. "I'm not sure if there was anything else."

Logan thought it over. Not many more mutants came to mind that he had any particular connection with, aside from maybe Mystique, but he honestly didn't care what had happened to the shape shifting harpy. Then he had a last minute thought on two different subjects.

"First off, what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D? Not like Fury to not stick his nose right into the middle of somethin' like this. And second, you heard of a kid mutant, X-23?"

Nikolai's brows scrunched together. "I heard that SHIELD was disbanded. The government went through upheaval when the situation went code red. And I'm afraid I've never heard of X-23."

Logan frowned, and they both went silent. The pause had just begun to grow awkward when Nikolai looked up at the room, his eyes traveling over the containers solemnly. "I'll let you have your time. I'm sure the others would appreciate the help in settling in the newcomers." He gave Logan a nod before leaving quietly.

Logan stood there a moment, unmoving as he looked around at all of the faces. Then he slowly approached one of the containers. A respectful, mourning nostalgia settled over him. He had felt this many times, whenever he'd gone to visit Cap in the past, suspended identically in frozen sleep. He looked down into the container, beholding a white face framed by auburn and white hair.

"Hey Stripes," he said quietly. "Came back, just like I said I would."

* * *

The moment Kota returned with Jump to the Seekers' home, impatience began clawing at her gut. Whatever vague plan she'd had had been fulfilled: she'd proven her loyalty to the team, earned their favor for the most part. Now was the time to come forward. It had been months now since she'd escaped from Lincoln, and a knife of guilt had been twisting deeper into her the more time passed. A part of her wondered if she was maybe reluctant to fulfill her promise to Lindi. She had no doubt that Lincoln was the last place she wanted to return to, but she refused to believe she that she could be so cowardly. So she now steeled herself, willing the dragging time faster as she waited for the team to be fully assembled once more.

"Hey Kota, everyone's gathering for dinner. Want some?" Stacy poked her head around the door of Kota's room, where she had been sequestered ever since returning to base.

Kota's ears twitched a bit, considering. She wasn't really in the mood to eat, but her stomach was yowling, and starving herself wasn't going to speed up time. She jerked her head, rising and following the other girl from the room.

The Nest was even more crowded now, the mutants milling about as they waited for there to be room in the kitchen. Kota stiffened; she didn't really like crowds. But the smell of food was a bit too enticing, so she waded forward into the mass of bodies. Stacy followed her, willing to let the taller, more abrasive girl elbow her way through. Several people complained a bit, but after catching Kota's challenging glare, they went quiet.

"We probably should have waited our turn," Stacy said as they entered the even more packed kitchen area, grabbing some of the assorted plates stacked by the door.

"You're starving and you don't really think that. Corn?" Kota scoffed, offering a serving spoon full of the stuff. Stacy opened her mouth to protest, before closing it, blushing sheepishly as Kota called her out. She held the plate out, letting the yellow kernels drop onto it.

"Okay, you're right. Can you pass me some beans?"

"What, can't reach 'em?" Stacy's not-amused expression caused Kota to roll her eyes.

Kota dumped the brown mush on the plate, smirking at Stacy. "We just spent almost two months risking our asses for strange mutants. I think we deserve the right to line cut."

"I have to agree with you," Stacy said with a cheeky grin, popping a piece of canned pineapple into her mouth.

Plates piled as high as Dominic and the Seeker Ripple (or the Ration Police, in Stacy's mind) would allow, the two girls vacated the kitchen for a tiny, uninhabited corner of the Nest area.

They ate for a few minutes, before Stacy looked up. "Hey, Kota?"

A black-nailed hand shot up, calling a halt. "Eating, not talking," she growled, still munching away. Stacy pursed her lips, rolling her eyes as she waited for Kota to scrape the last of the remnants from her plate.

"What?" Kota asked abruptly through a full mouth, her head switching to Stacy with an expectant, slightly annoyed stare. Stacy blinked, and then shrugged defensively.

"Well, I wanted to ask where you came from," she said.

Kota stared blankly, chewing her last mouthful slowly before swallowing, and then asked, "Why?"

Stacy shrugged again, picking at the corn on her plate with an irritated, embarrassed expression. "I don't know. It's just, you've been around for more than half a year, but we don't really know anything about you."

"Should you?"

"I don't know!" Stacy said, flushing. "I just figured because we're…friends, I guess, it wouldn't hurt to ask."

Kota stared a few more seconds.

"Oklahoma," she bluntly answered the original question, standing up. "I'm taking my plate back."

Stacy blew out a breath, ruffling her straight black hair. "Well, that's a start," she muttered, beginning to finish off her meal. Kota heard it. Maybe she needed to work on the people skills a bit more.

Her nose twitched, as it often did, but this time she picked up a familiar scent. She whipped her head around, ears perking up as she spotted Donovan and Evangeline emerging into the Nest, the last of the refugees behind them. Her spine stiffened; nervousness and anticipation were setting in even more intensely. She made to move toward them, but paused as another figure joined the newest group. Everyone grew still, staring wide-eyed at the stocky, muscled man that, by limits set by the Toxin, looked old enough that he should be dead.

Kota watched Donovan look around at the crowd, while Evangeline drifted off out of the limelight. The Seeker leader leaned back a bit, muttering something unheard to the older man, before turning back to the waiting crowd.

"Everyone, this is Logan. I think, though, that most of you know him as Wolverine. He'll be staying here with us for the foreseeable future."

The silence stretched a few more seconds, before a babble of small voices rose close by Wolverine and the Seekers. A couple of little kids inched forward, eyes wide with awe and fear as they drew closer. Logan stared at them sharply, and they halted, except for one small boy, who, after a brief pause, drew close enough to poke him. Logan raised an eyebrow, sending the kid jumping back with a squeak. When the legendary Wolverine didn't whip out the claws or make other similar threatening actions, more of crowd began to draw closer. Within a few seconds, Logan was surrounding by curious youngsters, all either questioning him or fascinatingly tugging on his pant leg. Kota smirked at the sight.

"I give it a day before he snaps and sends them all running," grunted a voice behind Kota. She snapped her head a fraction to the left, catching sight of Evangeline standing there, a scowl twisting her mouth downward. Green eyes met gold as Evangeline met her stare. "If you want to talk to Donovan, now's probably the best time."

Kota narrowed her eyes, a growl rumbling in her throat. "You rooting around in my brain, Candle Head?"

"Not my fault you're screaming your thoughts," Evangeline snorted, whirling on her heel and heading for the kitchen.

Kota huffed. "I really don't like her," she mumbled under her breath. Nevertheless, she followed the advice, and muscled her way through the surrounding mutants toward Donovan. She caught him by the shoulder, feeling edgy. The wolf side of her mind recognized him as the pack leader, and it rubbed against her instinct to approach him so brashly. She tried to ignore the instinct as he turned to her; Donovan was human, not a wolf, and he was pretty even-tempered. She didn't have to worry about him biting her head off.

"What's up?" he asked, catching the nervous gleam in her eyes.

Her shoulders drew up, steeling herself. "I need to talk to you, and the team," she said shortly.

Donovan blinked. "Okay. Is it something that needs to be talked about now, or can it wait until everyone's eaten?"

"I would prefer now," she replied.

His brown eyes grew serious. "Alright, I'll see if I can get everyone together. What is it you want to…"

Every head in the room startled upward as a tremendous crash and a yell came from the kitchen. Donovan hurried forward, nudging the bystanders aside. Kota paused only briefly before following.

Upon entering the kitchen, they were greeted by a spilled mess of food all over the floor, the pots used to cook them strewn about. They looked like they'd been flung from their original positions. Kota recoiled as a harsh burnt smell filled her nostrils.

Bent double against one of the counters, Phoenix had her eyes clenched tightly shut, one of her hands clapped to her skull, the other gripping the counter edge. The ground and wall around her were smoking and charred.

"Power flare," Donovan muttered to himself. He seemed to recognize the signs. He inched forward toward his friend, trying not to startle her. He didn't fancy being fried.

"Evangeline?" he asked worriedly.

Her head, hair crackling with fire, whipped up, and she stared intensely at him with flaming eyes. Her mouth opened, screaming out desperate words.

"Help us! We need help! Lincoln Nebraska! We'll be shipped away! We're in revolt! We're going to be imprisoned! We're going to die! HELP US!"

Kota froze, all senses cut off as the words registered. She had to be knocked to the ground by Donovan when a ring of fire burst from Evangeline, sending what few pots remained on the counters flying into the walls and floor with another harsh crash.

Donovan slowly began to shift, but Kota couldn't wait. She hurriedly shoved him off and scrambled up. Evangeline had sunk to the floor, sitting and rubbing her head and eyes blearily.

Shooting over, Kota snarled into Evangeline's face. "What was that?! Where did that come from?!" She even yanked Evangeline's hands from her eyes, not waiting for answers.

She was roughly shoved back by a glaring Evangeline, who staggered to her feet.

"It was some kind of telepathic message," she growled. "It was enhanced somehow; stronger than I've ever felt before."

_Benj_, Kota realized. As far as she knew, Benj Dents was the only telepath in Lincoln.

"It was from your city," Evangeline remarked grimly, standing up straight now.

"Kota," Donovan asked, "is this what you were trying to talk to me about?"

Kota sucked in a breath. "Yes and no," she replied, turning to her leader with her head held high. "I made a promise to go back for friends I'd left behind in Lincoln when I escaped months ago. I was waiting until I'd earned your trust to ask for help, but they need our help now. I wanted more time to plan for this, but the Seekers have to help them! You heard Benj…the telepath," she amended, "they're in danger!"

"Yeah, we got that," Evangeline grumbled, still rubbing her head. Kota turned on her.

"Could you stop being a fucking bitch for two seconds and just listen!" she spat.

"Who said I wasn't?!" Evangeline snapped back. "Of course we're gonna go rescue your buddies. Now do you mind giving some specifics here?" she asked, gesturing mockingly.

Kota turned rapidly to Donovan, who was nodding.

"Of course we're saving them. You didn't need to prove your worth to gain our help. Right now though, we have to figure out what's going on." He turned back. The entire Seeker team had assembled in the doorway at this point, along with Logan and a few other curious mutants. He motioned the team forward. "Shut the door," he ordered.

"What exactly is going on, Evangeline?" he asked her. She held up a finger, concentrating on tracking the mind that had bombarded her just minutes before.

"Benj Dents," Kota said. Evangeline nodded, seeking out said individual.

"There was…" She twitched. "There was a rumor going around. Mutants being shipped out or something. They were trying to get a message out for help, but some humans harassing mutants started a revolt."

"What's happening now?" Stacy questioned.

"They…they…oh fuck," Evangeline hissed. "They're getting the axe."

"What?" snarled Wolverine and Kota together.

Evangeline's eyes opened, new urgency in her tone. "You know the humans won't stand for that kind of revolt; they can't risk it getting out and firing up other mutant resistances. They're going to be making examples of the mutants in Lincoln," she said coldly, finishing the declaration by swiping her finger across her throat, a pretty recognizable sign.

Donovan stood forward, eyes flashing dangerously. He turned to his team. "Tcelfer, Hexenwolf, go through the entire base and see if you can find anyone that will join the rescue force. I doubt just us will be enough." The two young men nodded, slipping from the room with haste.

"I _still_ don't think it's going to be enough," Evangeline stated.

"I know," Donovan said. "We're going to need more help. Was the message sent just to us?"

Evangeline shrugged. "I think it was more a wide projection, just hoping to contact whoever they could. I'm not sure who else got it."

Donovan nodded. "We can't count on any nearby colonies to help, and the Coverts are too far off, and probably couldn't make it in time anyway. That only leaves one option that has the numbers or training needed for this."

"Oh great," Evangeline grouched. "I guess I'm going?"

He smirked at her. "Yes, you are. And please attempt to be polite. We can't afford to waste time while you and James try to tear each other's heads off. Take Static and Ballista with you."

"Follow me, ladies," Evangeline beckoned tersely. The trio of girls hurried out, Ballista rushing with impatience and Static with mounting fear and adrenaline.

"You know, Kota," Evangeline exclaimed as they made it outside, preparing for takeoff, "I'm all for saving your pals and mutants in need, but I really wish it didn't require having to schmooze up to James and Kai just to stand a chance."

"Just fly," Ballista growled.

"Oh shut up, I know what I'm doing," Phoenix growled as they launched into the sky.

* * *

_I'd like to thank _**Arian Eripmav, Seeds of Destruction, FrostyKoala, S. Ruru, KA, Rex123, Obsidian the Ghost Faced, A Half-Empty Glass, **_and_** Stormplains **_for their reviews. One more chapter 'til Climax!_


	21. Rally

**X2: Survivors**

Trisha had never been known as a very courageous person. Sure, she had been one of the Seekers not long ago; it had been a 'nut up or shut up' kind of job, and she'd managed well among them for the sake of her teammates and for mutants in need. But that didn't mean that her gut didn't always twist almost painfully when she plunged into danger. Even now, with the sharp snap of material filling the room as she prepared for the mission, her hands were shaking as she pulled on her fingerless gloves and buckled on her belt. This time though, the fear was nothing. It didn't matter what awful possibilities lay before the Coverts tonight. Gina was finally within sight, within reach, and Trish wasn't going to give up on her.

The creak of footsteps just outside the spare room caused Trish to turn. Rachel was waiting there, already dressed in her own silvery uniform.

"They're almost here," she said quietly, staring at Trish softly. "You ready?"

Trish squared her jaw, reaching down to collect her weapons, two daggers and a handgun. "I'm more than ready," she said.

Rachel nodded, giving her a small smile, before leading them out of the room and down the stairs of the boarding house. It was very quiet now, both because of the late hour, and the very few remaining residents. Over the months Trish had been among the Coverts, the number of dwellers in the boarding house had steadily decreased as the Coverts had found safe passages from the city, and Lupus had led the mutant children to safer refuges. Only Rachel and Cody lived in the house now. The silence in the house was oppressive, turning the usually safe, cozy place into something much gloomier.

Cody was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, nervously pushing his glasses up his nose and checking what little equipment he carried at the moment.

"They're parked two streets over," he said, glancing up at them.

"Then let's go," Trish said, steeling herself and becoming more a Covert, more Pause, and less of herself, less worried and scared. She grabbed a long coat from the rack by the front door, one that would conceal her uniform from sight for the short time it would take to meet up with the rest. Acorna and Chatter followed her lead, grabbing their own coats as Pause opened the door. They slipped out in quick succession.

It was a simple thing to walk along casually. Technically they weren't supposed to be out after curfew, but it was not uncommon for people to sneak out anyway for a late night party or get-together. As long as they acted somewhat natural, no one would pay them any mind.

Acorna jutted her chin, pointing out an idling grey van along the sidewalk. They sidled up to it, checking up and down the streets for passersby. Upon confirming the street was empty, the trio zipped across the street and into the van.

"About time you showed up," Flashfire said as the door slid shut. Pause looked around. Almost all of the Coverts were there, most in the back, while Luck was up front in the driver's seat. There were no seats in the rear of the van, and it was pretty crowded with small shipping crates.

"Here, help me load these up," Flashfire said, pushing an M4 rifle into Pause's hands. The girl stared at the large gun in her hands. The nausea in her stomach started up again, a little more insistently this time.

"Is it likely that we'll use these?" she asked unsurely, her eyes rather wide.

Flashfire grunted, his blue eyes flicking up to hers as he worked on his own gun. "Let's hope not. These are for last resorts," he said, waving his own semi-automatic for emphasis.

Mainframe nodded, before reaching into his own mission pack. He withdrew a plastic baggy, opening it and pulling out dark colored squares with small circuitry visible on one side.

"Everybody take one and stick it on you somewhere you can easily reach. They're a new design, so they can go on top of your clothes." All the Coverts got ahold of one. Pause briefly examined hers before she slapped it over the left sleeve of her black jumpsuit. Mainframe turned to Luck, who was just applying her own flesh-colored patch, and nodded to her. She started the car and pulled out, rumbling through the mostly empty streets of Boston.

"Won't we be spotted?" Pause asked, nervously glancing out the small back windows of the van.

"If we get stopped, we have an alibi," Replica said. "At least, Luck will. The rest of us plan on keeping quiet."

"Okay," Mainframe said. "The patches you're wearing are new design image inducers, as some of you know. These ones aren't for changing your appearance, though. Watch," he instructed. Placing a finger on his own patch, the team watched as, with an easy few swipes of his finger, Mainframe began to fade from sight, blending chameleon-like into the grey wall of the van.

"Sweet," Chatter said as Mainframe reappeared.

Mainframe indicated his patch. "Chatter and I already programmed these things to blend with your surroundings once scanned, so all you really need to adjust is the shade depending on the lighting. To start the scan, just peel up the left bottom corner, press on the inside, and wait for three minutes. After that you should be able to activate them. In the meantime, everyone can get ready."

Pause followed along with the rest as they lifted their patches and started the scan. Then she sat stiffly. She felt no need to prepare herself; she preferred smaller weapons, therefore leaving the large rifles where they were, and she'd already gotten everything in place before leaving the boarding house. Instead, she watched the others. Mainframe and Replica went through the motions like clockwork, Mainframe with focused efficiency, and Replica with the thrill of danger speeding her movements. Nyx clapped in the last cartridge in his gun, blowing out a breath as he mentally prepped. Chatter did a brief run through on his equipment, diligently rechecking everything for perhaps the third time tonight. Acorna leaned back against the wall, unmoving like Pause, and bounced her leg against the floor. She chewed at her lip, a nervous light in her eyes. Lupus and Ashcloud displayed no such trepidation, snapping their weapons into readiness and adjusting their uniforms until everything was right. Flashfire was fingering his gun leisurely, and Luck up front was beginning to adjust her own patch, which changed her appearance like normal, unlike the rest of the teams' inducers. Sentry, the last, was leaning forward over her knees as she sat against the wall, forehead rested on her kneecaps. The deep breaths and almost motionless figure appeared asleep to Pause.

A brief wolf whistle from Replica had everyone stilling. She motioned around. "Turn your patches on. Things are gonna get sketchy soon."

One by one, the Coverts faded into their backgrounds. Unless one of them made a sudden large movement, the back of the van appeared empty of any passengers. From that point onward, no one spoke.

Pause glanced around silently, not quite able to spot any of her teammates, aside from Luck, who was now driving in the form of a tall, much older Asian woman in what seemed like some kind of standard uniform. As the van weaved through mostly empty roads, and as the mass of lights of Boston began to grow dimmer, Pause had to struggle to remain calm and still.

Slowly the darkness began creeping into the van as they exited the city proper, moving westwards.

Having patrolled a few times out here, Pause knew the security measures placed around roads, and in open land. Even so, she'd never had to pass through one of those measures.

Light, red and white, shone through the windshield. Pause may not have been able to see her teammates, but she could tell that they'd all tensed, just like she had. Unknown to each other, everyone's fingers went to their patches. Pause held no envy for Luck, who was going to be trucking their little farce and hopefully selling it as well. Still, she had her powers on her side.

A flashlight beam cut through the van's interior. As the beam passed over them, each Covert manipulated their inducer patches to compensate for the light change. The light returned to the disguised Luck in the driver's seat.

"Identification," said a harsh female voice. Luck handed over her fake ID, impeccably crafted by Mainframe, even if he had been rushed in his work. The hidden team waited breathlessly as the security guard scanned it, grunting when she seemed satisfied. "What's your business and under whose authorization?"

"Ration supply delivery to the western sectors, under the Regional Internment Bureau," Luck said smoothly. Pause crossed her fingers, hoping that Luck would live up to her codename and powers.

"We're going to have to check your van," the female guard said, still sounding harsh, but at least not suspicious.

"Go ahead," was the casual reply.

Neither of their leaders needed to tell the Coverts to freeze. Every last one of them grew as still as stone, not a breath to be heard.

The van doors swung open swiftly. Pause resisted the urge to flinch away, her invisible eyes widening behind her glasses.

The female guard, with another man behind her, walked up to the back of the truck, reaching for the first crate, cracking it open, and checking the contents. One of the brown sealed packages was lifted from the box, opened, and examined to make sure the contents were legitimate. The clap of footsteps was heard as Luck rounded the back doorway as well, gazing blankly into the rear of the van.

"We have to check all of the crates," the guard said, waving her flashlight about. Luck nodded compliantly, hopping into the back of the van.

Pause almost flinched again when she saw Luck about to step right where Acorna should be. Miraculously, Luck avoided the probably very near miss, making her way unimpeded through the van, pushing crates back to the two guards to be checked. Breath was held for what felt like endless minutes as each crate was opened and scanned.

At last, the female guard looked up, nodding in satisfaction. "All clean. You can proceed."

Luck nodded, hopping out and moving back to the driver's side door. The door shut with a snap, the engine revved, and the car was waved through the metal gate that had blocked their way through the checkpoint. As the vehicle rattled over the speed bump, several audible sighs of relief rose in the car. Luck peered into the rearview mirror, flashing them a smile. "Relax. My luck held out," she said with a chuckle.

"We've got some miles to go, so relax while you can," Replica's disembodied voice said.

The quiet journey along an empty freeway was a short interval of artificial peace, but Pause wanted nothing more than for it to be over with, for this mission to be over with. She had been seeking this goal for so long, she couldn't stand a moment's more of waiting.

There was a grunt from the other side of the van. Pause looked up, listening. Another groan sounded, sounding almost fearful. It seemed like it came from where Sentry should be.

Pause swallowed heavily, something cold settling in her stomach. Scooting from her position along the floor of the rumbling van, she made her way toward where her teammate supposedly sat.

"Sentry?" she whispered as quietly as she could. Even so, she believed the others were watching and listening. Pause reached out, grasping what felt like a shoulder. "You okay?"

The silence stretched so long that Pause thought that maybe she'd been mistaken, when a breathy, trembling voice spoke up.

"Pause…I see smoke and fire. Something's wrong."

"What? What's wrong?" Pause asked, her whisper breaking, becoming louder.

"It's been like this all day," Sentry murmured. "I've been keeping my vision watching the future of our mission, but this is something else. I don't know what."

"What do you see?" Mainframe's voice asked urgently.

"Smoke and fire," Sentry repeated. "And the shadows of people, lots of them. And I can hear guns, and screams, and crashing. I…I can see some people clearly. A man with blue arms. A girl with fur on her limbs. A blonde girl, a boy that changes into a lion. They're all surrounded by the fire and destruction. I can't see any escape."

Pause felt her mouth go dry, and her eyes grow wide. She knew at least one of those described. Blue arms weren't common.

"It's already going dark," Sentry said despairingly.

"There's nothing else?" Replica asked. The steadfast humor in her voice had gone cold. It sounded suspiciously close to fear now.

"No," Sentry whispered. "It's all black now. I can't…I can't usually tell when or where an event takes place, but this felt very powerful. Something about it was significant. I think we might already be too late to help, to stop it. To do anything, really."

Pause choked. Her mind, which had been set to one, relentless track for months, now stuttered to a halt. Donovan was in that vision, and for all she knew, the rest of her former team. Her friends.

Trish felt her heart splitting, divided two ways, torn in a way that made her feel what she had sworn not to feel as she relentlessly sought to reunite with her only family. She felt unsure.

"Too late?" she repeated. Hopelessness resonated through the deathly silent van.

She couldn't see Sentry, couldn't see her expression, or whether she shook her head or nodded. But the words that followed were heart-wrenchingly grim.

"I don't know."

* * *

Stacy could tell they were slowing down. The landscape below them was going from a blur to defined structures whipping past them.

"Will they be able to tell we're coming?" she asked into the fiery swirl around her.

"Yep," Evangeline said. "They've got some radar in there, and probably plenty of mutants that could spot us from miles away."

"From where? All I see are rocks and dirt," Kota growled. Stacy couldn't see her, but she could imagine her craning her neck around, trying to spot any kind of hiding place or adequate shelter.

"Down there," Evangeline said moments before their trajectory changed, blasting them downward. Stacy and Kota gasped as the ground rushed at them, Stacy throwing up her hands in front of her face before they impacted.

Heat blossomed around them, spreading outward and away, leaving the cooling air of a desert twilight in its place. Stacy and Kota staggered upward from where they'd landed on the dusty ground. Evangeline didn't turn to them as they made it to their feet, trekking up the hill without any outward regard for her two teammates. Kota's ears laid flat as she loped up the hill to follow, Stacy limping a bit behind. The landing had been rather rough.

On top of the hill, Evangeline was kneeling in the dirt, scraping away the covering of what looked like a shoddy trap door.

"They're not going to be too happy about us just busting in," Stacy commented.

"They can live with it," Evangeline grunted as she heaved the entrance open. "They'll know who it is anyway. They'll probably appreciate us using the front door at all."

Kota and Stacy threw each other looks. This would be their first close encounter with one of the other X2 teams, and from the ambiguous relationship reportedly shared between the Seekers and Outcasts, they didn't know what to expect once they got down there.

The three girls slid through the uncomfortably tight passage, a faint flicker of fire coming from Evangeline's hand lighting the way. No words were spoken, so it wasn't long before they began to hear the noises of life coming from deeper within the ground.

Evangeline didn't doubt that there would be someone waiting for them at the end of the entrance tunnel. It was the particular persons standing there that gave her the unpleasant surprise.

"Shazma and Danish," she said, slipping out of the tunnel with all of the sarcastic enthusiasm she could muster spitting from between her falsely smiling lips. "You know, I should have seen this coming. Whenever something goes bad, you two pop out of the netherworld to join the mayhem. How's life been?" She asked, crossing her arms, cocking her hip, and smiling acidly.

Shazma let a downward twitch of her full lips show her dislike. "It's been as good and as bad as it gets. You're still as pleasantly social as ever," she said. Danish, of course, said nothing, merely staring with narrowed eyes at Evangeline.

A faint clatter of rocks alerted them as Kota and Stacy slid from the tunnel. Danish shifted to the side, his shoulders squaring defensively. Stacy, being the first out, held up her hands in the universal signal of surrender, a nervous smile on her face trying to convey her friendliness.

Kota wasn't as calm. A growl slid past her teeth the moment she saw Danish's hostile posture. Then she grew still, her eyes narrowing. She stared intently at him, before she growled out a low statement.

"I've seen you before."

Danish straightened a bit, surprise flitting over his face before he narrowed his own eyes, apparently trying to figure out if he knew her also. He couldn't place her, but Kota only took a few seconds to match his face to memory. Her snarl grew wider, and her features became distinctly less human.

"You were there, in Lincoln. You helped start all this shit," she hissed, advancing in a predator's prowl. Danish stepped up to meet her, his own type of growl beginning to rumble in his chest like boxed thunder. Stacy grabbed onto Kota's arm, flinching back when Kota actually barked in anger, rounding on her with blazing eyes.

"Back off!" Shazma demanded angrily, stepping up to her teammate's side.

"Hey, HEY!" Evangeline yelled. "I'm not the only one under behavior mandates! If I have to keep a lid on it, so do you!" she snapped, pointing at Kota.

Kota's ears laid back. A barked command of where Evangeline could shove it was barely held back. No matter how much she longed to take a snap at the redhead, her rational side knew it was pointless. "Fine!" Kota spat, wrestling herself from Stacy's grip. "We're wasting time anyway."

"And what exactly _is _this all about?" Shazma questioned, turning back to Evangeline. "I assume you didn't come down here for a social call."

Evangeline smirked. "We'll talk about it to the whole team or none. We're not going to wait here while you pass messages back and forth between me, Kai, and James like first graders."

Shazma blew out a frustrated breath before nodding her head down the tunnel. "Come on," she said sullenly. She led the way down the passage, Evangeline following behind her, Stacy and Kota behind her, and Danish backing up the rear.

There was only a short expanse of passage before the cavern truly opened outward. Stacy's eyes widened, and Kota's nostrils flared. There were many mutants here, moving around even at this late hour. Maybe an equal amount compared to the residents in the Seeker base lived here, maybe more, maybe less. It wasn't the population that surprised them so much as it was the dwellings. Stacy leaned over a bit as they trekked a path that skirted the upper walls of the main cavern. They had to be several stories above the sandy floor. Several mutants looked up, catching sight of her. Stacy ducked out of sight, nervousness filling her stomach again.

Shazma stopped, peering down herself. She turned to her fellow part-time Outcast. "Take them somewhere a bit more private. I'll get the others."

Danish nodded, guiding the Seekers down a side passage. There was a much smaller cave at the end of it, no bigger than a large living room. The four waited there in silence, agitation filling the room like choking smoke.

It was mere minutes later that Kota and Stacy got their first clear glimpses of the Outcasts' leading team. The first to enter was a tall girl with copper and white hair and one clouded eye. The next was a tall young man with dark hair and a cold glare set on his face. Behind him followed a bug-featured mutant, a girl with pale blonde hair and silver eyes, a long-haired older teenager with a scruff of facial hair, a young woman with dark hair and brown eyes that darted about, and a girl that looked uncannily like Jump. A few more trailed in, with Shazma at the rear.

The Outcast leaders stood forward, shoulder to shoulder. The young man still had a scowl fixed on his face, so the girl spoke first.

"What are you doing here, Evangeline?" she asked. The tone wasn't really hostile, nor was it particularly welcoming. It sounded wary, more than anything else.

Evangeline's lips twitched and her displeased frown grew larger. She seemed to take a moment to compose the words, or to actually force them up her throat and out of her mouth. "We…The Seekers need your help."

A leer couldn't be held back from the male leader's face. "Oh wow, that's revolutionary."

"Shut up, dickhead, this is serious!" Evangeline barked back almost instantly, before snapping her mouth shut, frustrated. James merely smirked wider at her, and Evangeline could be seen making a visible effort to ignore the baiting. Kota, however, didn't feel like letting the childish rivalry slow them down. She shot forward, almost shoving her face in James's own.

"Whatever kind of bullshit you two teams have on each other, I don't give a flying fuck about it! It would make asking for help with something YOU helped cause a lot easier if you'd quit being a smug jackass!"

Sharp nails dug into her arm. Kota's head swung to meet silver eyes, as a lovely face became feline, lips curled back over sharp teeth.

"Back off, bitch!" Spice hissed. The rough shove backward sent her stumbling for a mere moment before she righted herself.

"Make me, whore!" Kota growled, her own face shifting. Tension shot up as everyone in the cave began falling into stance, glares turned up and even some weapons brandished.

"STOP!" The booming command had everyone cowering back, covering their ears. Kai was glaring furiously.

"You're all being idiots when something serious is happening! Why don't we stop acting like brats and just get this out of the way! And James," she said, rounding on him, "she's right." She pointed at Kota. "You know better than anyone that Evangeline can't button her lip; are you trying to start something?!"

"Thanks Kai," Evangeline muttered, much to her regret a second later when Kai turned on her.

"Shut it, Evangeline! You're eighteen, not thirteen! Start acting like it!" Satisfied that all deserving parties had been adequately scolded, she turned to Kota. Her gaze was sharp and stern, and her demanding inquiry left no room for hemming and hawing. "Now what's going on?"

Kota bared her teeth, but didn't dare attempt any insolence. Nevertheless, she focused her glare back on the other Outcast leader, James.

"I'm an escapee from Lincoln, Nebraska; the Outcasts attacked it back in January. I've been with the Seekers ever since. Earlier, Evangeline got a telepathic message from a mutant I knew in Lincoln. They went into revolt and now they're going to die for it," Kota said darkly. "I swore I'd go back and help them, and the Seekers intend to help me, but we're not nearly enough to save them. The Outcasts have enough willing members to give us a chance."

There was the briefest of pauses before Evangeline spoke. Unlike before, her voice was a good deal calmer now, and the tone was icy. "It would be pretty out-of-character for the Outcasts to stay out of something like this, what with the whole salvation of mutant thing you've got going," she said, waving her hand airily. "Plus, any responsible liberation force would probably find it their obligation to respond to the _repercussions of their actions_." The words were emphasized almost painfully, Evangeline's burning gaze fixed on James very firmly. His face grew stonier at the familiar phrase, and his fists clenched.

Stacy had remained silent up until this point, but the sudden dark tension caused her to let the first words that came to her mind enter the air. "Is an argument really important right now? We all protect our kind, and now some of them need our help."

An obvious statement, but one that effectively cut through all crap and laid the cards out as they were: for the moment they shared agendas, and it was better together than alone. Kai gave her a nod, turning to the rest of her team with a pointed look. She made no decisions yet, glancing at James. He huffed, crossing his arms. Even so, his scowl disintegrated and was replaced by a look of determination. He nodded.

"Spread the word around," Kai said to the senior team. "Anyone we've passed through training is on our strike force, and get all the transporters up and ready to send us out as soon as possible."

Kota felt a sudden relief of pressure, like she could finally breathe. She drew herself up straighter as all of the Outcasts nodded obediently with their leader's commands, flowing out of the small cave and back into the main areas of the hideout. James and Kai remained.

"You got weapons?" James asked shortly as the two leaders and the Seekers exited last.

Evangeline nodded. "Enough for our team. We're not gun-heavy, though."

"We can cover that," Kai said. "We need to get the plans from the January mission, figure out how we'll approach."

"However we do this, we're out front," Evangeline said stubbornly, motioning to herself and her teammates.

James rolled his eyes. "You're loud, you rush things, and you have the finesse of a wrecking ball. We weren't exactly planning on putting you in the reserve team."

Kai shot him another pair of dagger-eyes, but Evangeline waved it off. "As long as he agrees, I don't give a damn what he says," she said derisively.

"What time can we be there?" Kota asked, the growl returning to her voice. She'd had enough waiting.

Kai glanced at her, growing serious once more. "It's around midnight now. If we rush it, we can have everyone on our side there by three. When we'll be getting _out_ depends entirely on what happens once things get started."

"I can work with that," Kota said with a dark, toothy grin.

* * *

_A/N: You ready?_

_I'd like to thank _**Arian Eripmav, Seeds of Destruction, dawnoftheceruleansky, Rex123, , KA, Raxius, **_and_** Obsidian the Ghost Faced **_for their reviews. _


	22. Red Salvation

**X2: Survivors**

Gunshots cracked through the air. There were no screams.

Tyler leaned back against the wall. He wished he didn't have to hear them, or the other heart-wrenching noises filling the large room. He glanced about at the dark room, only a few dim, fluorescent lights chasing away meager shadows. The space was large, expansive enough to send echoes of terrified sobs or shaking prayers to his ears. His throat closed, being choked by a cold, invisible fist. Everything had gone so wrong. His shoulders drew up as he anticipated another round of gunfire outside. Time seemed warped at the moment, so he couldn't calculate any steady increment of time between the damning bouts of noise.

He glanced about near him, to the people that mattered most to him. He swallowed past the lump, nauseated at the sight of Leo, re-collared and chained to a conveyor belt that ran vertically through the room. Tyler felt both fury and despair writhe in his stomach as he remembered being caught and collared again, dragged here, chained, and left in almost darkness for hours. It was only a short time ago that, without warning or prelude, the gunshots started going off.

Tyler stared intently at Leo. He knew Leo was, for the most part, alright, despite the bullet he took to the shoulder earlier. Among Leo's powers he possessed a minor healing factor that had removed most of the seriousness of the wound before the collar had been put back on, but Leo still looked less than well. He leaned back limply against the conveyor belt, golden eyes lowered to the floor.

The rest of the group was little better. Strobe knelt in her chained position, unmoving and silent ever since they had been tossed here. Benj stared blankly at the narrow windows facing the direction the shots would come from, as if trying to see something. It was still deep night outside though; probably thankfully, nothing would be seen.

"At least we made the effort," said Jesse softly. His head was bowed over his knees as he sat, chained to another section of the conveyor belt. It was the first word spoken among them since they had been placed here to await their fates.

"Do you think we'll feel it?" asked Strobe bleakly, now that the silence seemed to have been broken. "Is there a moment where you feel the bullet, or do you just die instantly?"

"Don't think like that," Tyler barked, sudden anger flaring up inside at the woman's resigned tone. He cast a piercing glare at her. "If it is hopeless, the worst way we could go is like that: weak and defeated." In his peripherals, he saw Leo raise his head some. Sending a glance his way, Tyler caught that familiar flash of defiance in his brother's pale face, even if he still grimaced with pain. Even though he felt pride at Leo's courage, it was easily overshadowed by the guilt and self-hatred that hit him like a sledgehammer, caused both by the pain Leo was in that he had been unable to prevent, and the fact that the empty fierceness was the best he could give to his family and friends. Beyond that, he was powerless to stop what was coming.

"I wonder what'll happen to Lindi," Benj said softly. Tyler saw his brother's shoulders sagging under his own weight of guilt. Tyler's bowed his head in sorrowful regret. They never should have accepted her help, for the girl's sake at least.

"She'll be okay," Leo said, finally managing to muster up some words despite the shakiness in his voice. "They'll probably say we put a spell on her or something." He cracked a weak smile.

Benj gave a half-smirk in return. "I bet they will. I'm just worried that Lindi won't let them think that."

There was more silence. And then more gunshots. A shaking outlet of breath from Strobe filled their corner of the room.

"We're in this together," Jesse said. He sounded terrified, and desperate. "Right?"

They all nodded. Then they sat back, waiting for their turns to face the invisible guns outside.

* * *

Lindi sat in the metal chair, bent over. Her hands, bound together by a zip-tie, covered her pale face. Her narrow shoulders shook faintly as silent tears dripped to the floor. Outside, she could hear as more mutants met their fates.

She didn't regret what she'd done. What had been the choices? Risk this, or do nothing, let the mutants be sent to a place possibly worse than the fatal end of a gun barrel. But that didn't stop the fear and sorrow, and the waves of pain that crashed over her every time a round of shots were fired. Worse, she was locked in a windowless room within one of the storage buildings, blocked off from all knowledge of what was going on, aside from what she could hear. She could tell that several mutants were put down every round because of the amount of gunfire, but she knew nothing beyond that. She didn't know whether or not her friends had yet to face the firing squad, or if their corpses were already being hauled off to the furnaces. The tears flowed a little faster at the thought.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

The sound of footsteps approaching outside the room wasn't enough to lift her bowed head, nor did she make a move when the door swung open after a bout of loud, harsh words, allowing the arrival and her guard inside. The shuffle of boots against the concrete floor just shut her eyes tighter.

"What the hell have you done, Lindi?" asked a harsh, incredulous voice. Sergio. She didn't look up.

Footsteps stomped toward her, before a hand grabbed her shoulder, wrenching her up to look at him. Her bloodshot eyes glared at him. Sergio looked furious, more so than he'd ever looked before. He also looked shocked, confused, and betrayed. Her lip curled up in a snarl as she gave him her one and only answer.

"I did what was right." The words were hissed with all the venom she could muster. "Get. Out," she spat.

Her brother opened his mouth, maybe to yell, maybe to protest. He accomplished neither, as the guard laid a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out.

Lindi lowered her head again once the door shut and locked. She was glad it had been Sergio to come. She didn't know why it had been him and not her parents, and she was glad not to know. She didn't know what she would have done if they had come instead. Would they be shocked? Afraid for her? Disgusted? Proud? With her uncertain fate, she preferred to never know.

She leaned back in the cold metal chair, feeling her eyes begin to water again as five more mutants went down outside. Right now, her own fate was at the back of her mind. All she could do was weep for those outside, waiting to meet their deaths. For the first time, a dark hint of bitterness came to her thoughts.

"I tried my best, Kota, even if it wasn't enough. So why didn't you come?"

Lindi let out a wet laugh that sounded more like a death rattle than anything else.

"I guess this means we're both promise breakers."

* * *

Three miles north of the upper tip of Lincoln's outer reaches, a perfect contrast to the dark, cold, and hard surroundings of the prisoners awaiting their sentencing could be found. Long grasses embedded in damp soil swayed in the night breeze, rattling the leaves on the deciduous trees. Unlike the eerie, abandoned feeling of the surrounding lands, the emptiness of this square section of land seemed natural. The chirping of crickets added an atmosphere of calm that wasn't shared by the visitors that milled about quietly.

Ranged around a roughly circular space were the Seekers and the several volunteers they had managed to collect, some sitting, some standing, some pacing.

Limb leaned back against one of the trees. To any observer he appeared cool and collected as always. Limb wondered at his ability now to hide his emotions so completely in the face of trial and adversity. Hide it, but certainly not dispose of it.

God, what was he doing? The thought knocked around his brain like a pinball, only getting harder to ignore as more time went by. Seeker missions were dangerous, sure, but they were child's play compared to what they were about to do. How could he possibly lead his team successfully once they were beyond that wall when he was just as inexperienced as they were? He shot a glance around at both his teammates and those mutants courageous enough to volunteer their help. Christ, they all looked so young. Really, he wasn't that old himself. Twenty, almost twenty-one, might have been higher up on the mutant life expectancy scale at this point, but seniority certainly didn't grant wisdom in this situation.

Limb clenched his fists. A tingle of sensation ran through his body when he did, his psionic arms' substitute for the sensation of touch. Relaxing his hands, he shifted one back to run his palm over the bark of the tree he leaned against. The tingle spread through his body again, but he had no sense of texture, no rough but spongy dragging that he could feel if he put his bare neck back against it.

Limb stared down at his hand, face curling into a mask of stoicism.

No, now was not the time to question or panic. From the moment he'd been born he had struggled against seemingly impossible challenges, first trying to adapt to life without arms or hands, always finding a way around the obstacles life threw at him. Then when he'd gained these new arms and the challenges of mutant-hood with them, he'd worked to overcome those. Now was no different.

Except for the fact that he had been the only one who would have faced the consequences of his actions back then. The crushing weight of doubt set back in with renewed strength, until he felt as though the Kevlar shielding in his uniform was crushing his ribs in.

There was a rustling in the undergrowth off to Limb's left, and he turned his head to spot the large canine shape. Hexenwolf seemed to spend equal time in both his forms, and Limb was never quite sure which he would be at any given time. Golden eyes stared at the Seeker leader in a way that seemed almost invasive.

Limb got the uncomfortable feeling that Hexenwolf probably knew what he was feeling right now, even if he wasn't reading his mind. If Limb had been at all like Evangeline, he would have lashed out immediately. Instead, he merely let out a deep breath through his nose, holding Hexenwolf's keen stare, waiting to see if he would comment.

No comment was forthcoming. Hexenwolf's ear twitched at his leader's stare, before he dipped his head low in what seemed very much like a sign of respect. The tight-lipped expression Limb wore relaxed into an almost smile.

"I think they're here," Hexenwolf said instead, breaking the stare first.

A sudden blinding burst of panic and oh god and the whole gamut of frantic emotions flashed through Limb's mind like a surprise thunderstorm. Just as quickly, Limb pushed it away with sudden vicious effort, taking control of himself. There was no turning back now, and whatever doubts he had would have to wait. He straightened up, offering a steady thanks to Hexenwolf. The reply came in Limb's mind, no words, but a transmission of feeling that held more than a little admiration. The silent support hardened Limb's resolve even further.

The undergrowth shook again, a good deal louder this time. The Seekers rose swiftly to their feet, awaiting their allies' approach.

There were only a few, really no more than the Seeker team, not even counting the volunteers. Even so, they looked fierce. The tall, masked male leader and his ramrod-straight partner stood at the head of their group, backed up by maybe ten teens, some obvious mutants, some not. They all, however, looked ready to send heads rolling. In his peripherals, Limb noted Evangeline, Kota, and Stacy breaking away and joining the Seekers once more. The two teams stood off against one another, no one speaking for a minute. Looking over them, Limb noted several unfamiliar faces, as well as a few that he did know. He blinked upon noticing Flash and Scream. He hadn't seen either of the two wandering mutants in nearly two years.

Gathering himself amongst a whirlpool of anxiety, tension, and a familiar, illogical happiness at the sight of Phalanx and Sonata drawing closer, Limb broke the silence with steady composure. "Glad you came," he said, meaning his words in more ways than one.

The shadowed eyes behind Phalanx's mask narrowed. "And why wouldn't we? We owe it to mutant kind to free them from this kind of oppression," he bit out.

The warmth inside Limb created by the ghost of nostalgia and old friendship shrank like a candle in a cold draft. He held up his hands in a placating gesture at the Outcast's hostile tone. "I know," he said, a hint of warning creeping into his own voice. "I don't doubt your motives, but that's not important right now. The mutants of Lincoln are dying in there as we speak; we need to move as soon as we can."

The glare behind the mask didn't let up, but after a moment he nodded in agreement.

Limb's shoulders relaxed some, glad that the Outcast leader wasn't going to be too difficult.

Beside Phalanx, Sonata stepped up. Limb waited for a similar hostile greeting, but the bitter expectancy vanished the moment he met her eyes. They were still bright, despite one's blindness, and they still smiled even when her face was serious. The warmth returned in full. Kai. She'll never change, he thought with unrestrained fondness.

"You're right; we don't have much time," she said, breaking the new tension that had formed from Limb and Phalanx's exchange. "We've sent most of our force ahead already, but they won't do much for the direct assault. There are several entrances into the work and containment facility that they need to block off to any reinforcements trying to come in. Even with both our teams together, we hardly have enough to hold out for long as it is. So we need a way to get in fast, and get out fast."

"What we have here is our main strike force then?" Limb asked, looking around at the group of about thirty-five. The group seemed frighteningly small. The Outcast leaders nodded. Limb squared his shoulders, before turning to the Phoenix.

"Can you give us some specs?"

"Do my best," she muttered, before closing her eyes and putting her fingers to her temples.

Limb was not expecting for his own vision to go dark, or to feel suddenly weightless and disconnected. Panic scrambled for a placement at the front of his mind again, but he once more managed to push it away as he recognized the sensation. He had felt this deeper level of mental communication with Evangeline before, seeing what her mind decided to share, but it was always disturbing when it was not expected.

Slowly, blobs of shade, light and dark, appeared in his previously non-existent vision. The shades became color, and then more clearly defined shapes and structures.

Squinting, Limb peered into the scenery that was steadily unfolding before him. Undoubtedly looking through someone else's eyes, Limb could see a fenced, partitioned compound, defined sections containing factories, storage buildings, or meager dwellings.

The scenery jerked and swirled away before it could be fully processed by those who viewed it. A hiss of complaint in Phalanx's voice rang through the mental plain. _"Easy on the transitions, before you make one of us puke!"_

Evangeline's reply was just as sneering as Limb expected it to be. _"Remember, we don't have a lot of time. Also, I thought Tough Leader Man had a stronger stomach than that."_

_"Knock it off!"_ Sonata barked. _"Let's just get the layout."_

Limb, and undoubtedly the other two leaders, felt the ripple of exasperation coming from Phoenix's mind, but she obeyed her orders.

The scenery flashed through the camp, jumping from one mind to another to get a lay of the land. With each jump, they drew closer to a set of buildings among the factories. The vague human shapes of guards and soldiers surrounded the outsides of three of these buildings. The vision propelled them forward into the building, climbing a few floors.

Limb felt a jolt of shock, growing still as he caught his first sight of the prisoners through the eyes of another guard stationed outside the holding room.

They were all chained or roped to whatever immovable structures were in the room, their huddled forms hardly visible scattered in the dark room among the machinery. Several of them lay slumped on the ground, injured or too hopeless at this point to hold themselves up.

Limb shuddered with intense sympathy and fear, hearing faint noises of similar feelings coming from the others. It was at this point that Limb was able to crush the last of his reluctance to lead this mission. Outrage boiled his blood and gave him a new certainty. These people were going to die without help. They could not let that happen.

The vision wavered violently and without warning. The sight of the imprisoned mutants blurred out before shattering spectacularly, sending the Outcast and Seeker leaders reeling back.

Limb stifled his own exclamation of pain at the sudden expulsion and a lash of pain behind his eyes when he heard Phoenix let out a short cry of her own. He turned his gaze to her, worry flashing through him as she put a hand to her forehead.

Catching his look, she waved him off, dropping her hand hurriedly. "Nothing. I tried to extend my mind to the mutants, but I think I strained myself too far," she grumbled in displeasure. "But we have what we need. We know where they are in those four buildings, and that there are guards freaking everywhere." The statement caused agitated or nervous shifting among their small force.

Limb stepped forward, drawing all attention to him. This was the moment where they needed a leader. "We're just going to have to keep our presence unnoticed as long as we can," Limb said, looking around at them all, trying to give them the courage and skill they would need with his steady words and demeanor. It seemed it worked to an extent as shoulders were squared and glares of determination crept over all their faces. Limb fervently hoped it would be enough.

"Our transporters can get us beyond the wall," Phalanx said, indicating several mutants among his group.

"And how exactly are we going to get out with a lot of prisoners?" Kota's question was posed with no small amount of impatience.

Sonata gestured behind her to one of the Outcast girls. "Rip can transport a lot of people through her portals at a time and over long distances, at least as long as she can focus. She can stay here, so that if anything goes wrong, we still have our main escape route out of line of fire. We can send in a team to each building, get the prisoners transported out here, and she can get them to safety."

It sounded so simple, Limb thought. He highly doubted it would be anywhere close to simple. Nevertheless, he nodded. "Alright, I'll lead one, and you two can lead two more. We'll need a fourth," he said looking around, especially toward Evangeline.

Phoenix did not hesitate to shake her head to the proposal. "I'm the muscle, not the brains," she declared firmly. Behind his mask, Phalanx rolled his eyes. He turned, probably about to elect another of his fighters. He did not manage to get the words out before he was interrupted by a gruff voice.

"Mind if I join the club?" it asked.

Limb had almost forgotten Wolverine, sheltered in the shadows of the foliage, only now speaking for the first time as he moved into the open.

Sonata and Phalanx both whirled around to face the speaker, brandishing their weapons on instinct, promptly mimicked by the rest of their team. "Who the hell is this?" Phalanx asked bluntly, the blades coming from his arm guards flashing in the waxing moonlight that filtered through the trees.

The new presence stepped forward into the low light, revealing the short, well-muscled man. He had his arms crossed, and was raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the bristling teenagers. A brief few seconds of examination revealed to them who the older man was. The Outcasts' mouths dropped open, and they all straightened.

"Holy shit," Sonata murmured, glancing up and down the former X-Man. Limb watched as curiosity and awe in varying degrees seemed to reshape the harsh masks of the other mutant clan. The steely gazes and battle-ready glowers slacked into widened eyes and almost disbelieving stares. Truthfully, they were staring at what was basically a legend.

Phalanx was staring with an equal amount of incredulity, from what little Limb could see of his face. There was also a great deal of suspicion as well.

"So the Wolverine's back," he stated in a cold voice as he met Wolverine's casual scowl, the words lacking any of the obvious admiration his followers were displaying. "I guess that's something to think about, once we have the time. But in my opinion, no, the former X-Man isn't fit to lead a team at this time," he stated, crossing his own arms.

The shock and slight excitement that had washed over the clearing when Wolverine had revealed himself suddenly seemed to freeze and drop dead in midair. Several heads swiveled to stare at Phalanx with disbelief.

Wolverine raised his other eyebrow to join its fellow high on his forehead and his jaw tightened. "You callin' me green, bub?" The disbelief and irritation rang in every word.

Phalanx stood a bit taller, impressing the almost comical height difference between himself and the much older mutant. "In this situation, yeah, I am. Wherever you've been, you haven't been part of any team or organized mission for five years, as far as I'm concerned. Also, you don't have enough knowledge of our team members' powers and abilities to coordinate them properly. That doesn't make you the best option for a leader."

"Makes sense to me," Phoenix intoned, an almost smug expression showing on her face. Both Limb and Wolverine shot her a glare, but said nothing.

Sonata shifted, awkwardness in her posture. "I think Phalanx is right in this instance. Your experience will be invaluable, but you probably aren't the wisest choice to lead a strike team, Wolverine," she explained.

Wolverine remained silent, his expression darkening. Limb hovered in a tense state, wondering if there was anything to be said to resolve the issue. He remained silent though, watching as Wolverine seemed to consider the matter. At a casual glance, the older man's expression was a simple study of stoic annoyance. But, with the right timing and insight, Limb was able to catch a flash of anger and pain – and even a little guilt – in Logan's brown eyes. The taut line of the man's shoulders loosened.

Wolverine let out a grunt, indicating his submission. A dark, fierce smirk that slightly bared his sharp canines twisted his face into something much more deadly in the eyes of those watching. "Then just stick me wherever, and let's get a move on," he rumbled with finality. The ring of his claws emerging only emphasized his statement.

Phalanx's satisfaction was obvious even behind a mask, and he nodded to the acquiescence. "Good. Your experience on the battlefield is valuable, even if you're not leading. You'll be with our perimeter forces, holding back any enemy reinforcements that come. And they will come," he said darkly.

Limb broke his stillness and silence, turning to Jump. "Take Wolverine to join the Outcast forces, and then come back."

"They're about four miles out, moving inside from the west. They're just waiting for our signal to breach the wall and take their positions," Sonata told the teleporter. Jump nodded, stepping up beside Wolverine. With a flash of dark violet smoke, the two were gone.

This was it. Everything was in position, and all that was left was to act. Limb glanced around at his team, friends, the closest he had to family these days. Their futures were uncertain tonight, but they were all willing to tempt fate to help their fellow mutants. Limb could only hope that fate would be kind tonight.

He stood forward. Tonight more than ever, these kids needed a leader, no matter how under-qualified he, Phalanx, or Sonata might be.

"Tonight, it's important that we don't let our differences get in the way," he spoke, his voice reaching every ear in the clearing. "Tonight, we really have to prove that we do what we do for others, not just for ourselves or our ideals. I'm not going to lie; we're going to face greater danger than we ever have before, but if we're strong, and watch each other's backs, we'll make it. Those people need us, and that's what's important," he said solemnly.

Hardly a speech for the books or a rousing cheer, but the varied expressions of fear, determination, impatience, or righteous anger seemed to convey an unspoken understanding between both Seekers and Outcasts, and they were ready to prove it.

Phalanx stood forward. "Divide into even teams of four. Here's the plan."

* * *

Leo sat curled against the conveyor belt, unmoving.

His shoulder was throbbing painfully, not fully healed before his powers were shut down, but with his mind already burdened with too many thoughts, he hardly paid it notice.

His limbs felt so heavy, the rapid fluctuations between fear, fury, hope, anguish, and wretchedness he'd gone through tonight causing more exhaustion than a little blood loss ever could. Now he just felt numb, unresponsive to the point that he could hardly lift a finger.

A growl rose unbidden in his throat, a shot of adrenaline spiking through his veins as a feral rage rose in him again. Leo almost sighed through the rumbling in his chest. The collar might restrain his powers, keep him from releasing the beast, but it certainly did not banish it. Whenever the numbness reached its peak, the lion inside him would come snarling back, a cornered creature refusing to be caught. The resistance to the despair would not last long, though.

Temporarily roused from his stupor, Leo looked around again. For the most part, everyone had gone quiet. The sobs, whimpers, and terrified words had been muffled by the same submission to fate that Leo struggled with. Even his friends and his family had settled into that silence. It was all just a matter of waiting now, waiting until it was their turn to face the gunshots outside.

_Didn't figure I'd go out getting all emo,_ Leo thought to himself. He didn't want to die like this, thinking only of what lay ahead, and about the very little time he probably had left. Instead, he tried to recall memories of a time that felt like eons ago, when the sun was warm when it shone and happiness wasn't an effort of defiance. It was like a hammer blow to the stomach, knocking all air out of him, when he realized how vague and blurry those memories seemed. Always so focused on the present, the past seemed worlds away as he struggled to bring foggy pictures and scenes back to mind. Being a kid, not a care in the world aside from wondering if Tyler was going to sneak up on him and yank his tail again. Having a blank sheaf of papers settled on his lap, a pencil or charcoal in his hand, free to capture whatever caught his fancy on the white surfaces. Practicing soccer in the back yard. His mother's face.

Leo forced down a sob. He couldn't see them. They had all gone dark.

Breathing through what felt like ragged holes in his lungs, Leo kept his gaze determinedly away from his brothers. The noise of sorrow hadn't been nearly hushed enough to go unnoticed. He could feel them looking at him, and his fists clenched until he could feel blood wetting his palms and knotted fingers. The numbness wasn't enough to dull the pain this time.

Where was that unbridled anger when he needed it?

"Leo."

His head shot up, looking at Benj. His brother's face was ashy, and his eyes wide.

"I hear footsteps," he murmured. "I think it's our turn."

There is a special kind of terror that arises when one's spent so long dreading an event's arrival, one that, when the time finally comes to face it, everything comes to a head in such a way that it's almost impossible to contain. Leo's breath hitched on the way in, tangling painfully in the throat like a brace of thorns. All of a sudden the beast went wild, thrashing inside his mind and roaring. For a moment it seemed as if even the collar wouldn't be able to hold it back from its frenzied rampage. Leo's limbs twitched in spasms, barely able to stop a fitful lunge, a fruitless attempt to break the chains and get free. He couldn't sit, couldn't stay still like this. If he didn't move, didn't run, he was going to explode. The growl that slipped out of his teeth this time was too entangled with human terror and overwhelming. The lack of animal tone to it made it come out sounding more like a strangled grrnk that choked off in the middle.

Dammit, he would not go down like this.

Leo narrowed his eyes. Even as his body screamed to just give up, he pushed himself upright, unable to rise fully, but he still glared at the closed roll-up door of the factory. Behind him, he could hear the others shifting too, sitting straight and raising their heads higher. They wouldn't face death submissively either.

"Come on," Leo hissed under his breath as the door began to lift open with a damning clatter.

* * *

Another round of gunfire had passed, leaving the night stifled in another suffocating silence. By now, the shots were the only sounds that dared make themselves known.

A white speck blinked across the sky, no more conspicuous than a random falling star. The small light extinguished as it fell, just like any other wayward meteor, but though unseen, the object was still fast on its approach to earth.

A dark streak in place of the light angled sharply, pulling up to soar almost invisibly over Lincoln's mutant compound.

_"Move in,"_ commanded a voice that rang through the astral plane.

Hushed snaps or puffs of air whispered through the night, each stationed somewhere around four industrial production buildings grouped together within the heart of the mutant compound. Hunched shadows were left behind, on the roof, on the ground, and some even clinging to the outer walls of the structures.

Phalanx's voice took over, ringing through his followers' heads. "Everyone knows their individual tasks. Cover your designated floors, take out the guards, secure the prisoners, and then **wait** for further orders, understand? Phoenix will keep us all linked up in case of any emergency.

Ballista gripped harder to her precarious clinging position on the wall, clawed gauntlets and steel-toed boots digging into the creviced space where her teleporter had left her, almost screeching in frustration. Why weren't they moving already? They'd already been over the plan; now was time to act.

Her nose crinkled and her spine stiffened. She could smell blood on the air.

_"I swear to God, guys, if you're dead… Hell, what could I do? Was I too late? Maybe if I hadn't waited – hadn't stalled – then this wouldn't have happened. That's it, isn't it? I was too scared to come back here. Damn me, I promised!"_

_"Pull yourself together!"_ barked Phalanx's stern voice, reminding a mortified Kota that her team could all hear her thoughts. Her semi-morphed ears flattened closer to her head, but Phalanx interrupted her mental lash. _"Whatever issues you've got going on, they're second priority. Keep focused and maybe they won't be a problem once we finish this."_

Kota couldn't help the stream of dislike that the entirety of the joint rescue team was able to feel, but Phalanx disregarded it in favor of more important matters.

_"Go,"_ he commanded his team. The fur lining Kota's human form stood on end. This was it.

Shifting to the left, she shimmied along the outer wall of the second floor of the building. Narrow windows indented the building's face at regular intervals, unbarred, but they couldn't be opened, and were too thin to squeeze through anyway.

Kota's eyes almost rolled. I didn't come this far to get stopped by a window.

Brandishing her gauntlet-guarded hands, she placed her talon-ended fingertips against the glass. With as much care and finesse as she could manage, she slid them along the smooth surface, the tinniest scream of the cutting glass only detectable to her ears.

Kota stifled a gasp as the separated glass pane nearly slipped from her grasp. She seized it at the last moment, barely averting a loud, shattering beacon of disaster. Shifting her body to get her arm through the hole, she lowered the pane to the floor.

_"Move it, Ballista. Another guard rotation is moving onto your floor,"_ urged Phoenix's voice in her head.

Kota had already changed forms. Her wolf body was large, but her shoulders and haunches were slender enough to allow her to wiggle inside. She dropped to the ground with a quiet patter of paws. In an instant, she shrank into hiding.

She hadn't bothered really looking inside, which in hindsight was a clumsy and dangerous decision. There might have been no telling whether the guards Phoenix spoke of had already reached the floor. As it was, she had not gone unseen.

The small group of bedraggled prisoners that had spotted her entrance continued to stare wide-eyed at the shadows where she hid, oblivious to the sounds of feet coming up the stairs not far off.

Fur standing on end (she would **not **let things fall apart so soon), Kota growled at the gawping group. _"LOOK AWAY!"_ she screamed in her head.

Flashlight beams cut through the semi-darkness. The stunned mutants whipped their heads around. Kota's shoulders slumped, but she didn't release her tense posture. She was partly shielded by the equipment arranged around the floor, blocking her from any direct line of sight to the stairs, but that nowhere near guaranteed her safety. However, if she played the hunter, the shoe would be on the other foot.

With one last glance at the clump of mutants she had surprised, who were alternating their stares between her and the moving shapes of the roaming guards, she slunk sideways along the wall, circling around to come up behind one of the two marks. The woman wasn't aware of the silent prowler until the wiry arm clamped around her throat, cutting off her shout and air.

The moment Kota knew the guard was unconscious she doubled back around again to take out the second guard. She needed to be fast; the moment he realized something was amiss, the alarm would go up and all hell would break loose. That wouldn't happen until they were good and ready for it.

She brought the second guard down with a vicious club to the head, armored hands guaranteeing extra damage. He crumpled to the floor like a marionette severed from its strings, blood trickling down his temple.

Kota stared down at the man. He wasn't all that old and even unconscious his expression seemed befuddled. She remained standing still, a dark thought coming to mind. Was it wise to leave the two guards unconscious here? She still had to get downstairs and clear the ground floor below her; she could feel her teammates already dispatching their own guards on the upper floors, putting the building under their control. She found it unlikely, but she couldn't be sure that neither of her two victims wouldn't wake and raise the alarm.

Her claws twitched, sharp and capable as she knelt down near the guard's head. A slit to the throat and that risk would be eliminated. Her hand extended a bit toward her target.

A whisper of shared thought and emotion reached her, coming from Phalanx. It felt like approval.

Kota paused. She had no real hatred of killing, she had a bit too much bitterness stocked up to really hold back if the moment came between her and her friends' lives and the life of a stranger, especially one that helped persecute and enslave her kind. But she couldn't deny that she still felt hesitation.

Maybe it was because this death would be unnecessary. She would take a life when the time came, but this felt too cold-blooded. Maybe she would have had no issue a few months ago, but after months spent among mutants dedicated more to saving than vengeance, this seemed like the wrong moment to plunge her hands into the river of spilled blood that had become reality.

She withdrew and stood up. Not yet, and not this man or woman.

Kota could feel eyes on her, and she knew the mutants were watching her, some with fear, others with confusion, and still others with crushing hope. She didn't face them, turning instead to the stairs and her next objective, but she did loudly whisper over her shoulder. "Stay quiet. I'll be back."

A quick check of the air down the stairs told her that no guards were within dangerous distance yet. Kota descended rapidly, the clunking of her boots muffled by her intentional attempts at stealth. She inhaled deeply again, letting the scents in the stagnant air waft to her.

An overwhelming clutter of scents reached her. There would be next to no chance she'd be able to pick the guards, however many there were, out by their smell.

Thankfully, this floor was more cluttered than the one above, providing more cover. The ground floor was just one large room, separated into functional halves. The stairs to the upper floors were hidden by tall, steel-structured shelves used for storing large crates or containers for bulk shipments of whatever was produced here. Kota's ears flattened. From experience, she knew it was paper products produced here. The second half was dedicated to packaging machinery and conveyor belts.

Kota dropped low, shifting again. Prowling forward with every caution, she began moving perpendicular to the looming storage shelves, hugging the wall, making sure to peer down each aisle for any free-moving shapes.

The rattle of a large door sliding open sent her skittered under cover into the deepest shadows she could find. Phoenix's voice gave her the situation.

"They're coming in for another mutant collection. The guards will have their attention divided, so now's the best time to strike."

No fear now. This was her chance. Kota plunged forward.

She found the first of her prey, with pure luck, lingering just beyond the shelving half of the floor. The big man couldn't have been taken down like the lighter weights upstairs, so Kota decided to take a risk and be a bit more tenacious.

She darted from hiding, delivering a vicious blow with her knee to his chest, driving all air from his body with a startled whoosh. At the same time, a furious, desperate cry rang through the warehouse, dangerously shifting Kota's attention.

_"Focus, Ballista, and finish him!"_ commanded Phalanx's snarling voice.

The sounds of struggle would mask her efforts to bring the man down. It also meant that she would allow more mutants to be led away to death while she was mere yards away.

"There's nothing you can do without making things worse." Her temporary commander was correct, and it made Kota feel ill.

Her fist smashed into the man's skull, leaving him no chance of rising any time soon. Without acknowledging the sound of scuffing feet and muffled grunts coming from the mutants that were being dragged away, she moved to her next target, locking away the fury and desire to spring out and help.

However, that resistance, flimsy as it was, had no chance of surviving when she heard a rage-filled cry pierce the air as its owner was dragged outside. Kota was left frozen.

_Leo._

* * *

Leo snarled as best he could without his powers at the silhouette now looming over him.

The next moment, the teen was on the floor, jolting helplessly at the Taser shot.

"Don't even think about it, mutie," spat a disgusted voice. His four companions surged forward, all trembling with fury, but couldn't break their restraints. Five soldiers, one for each mutant, stalked into the room, seizing their charges and cuffing them behind their backs. Every other mutant in the room shrank away, petrified into utter silence.

"It'll be over quicker if you don't struggle," said the quieter voice of another of the guards. It sounded almost uncomfortable.

It sent Leo into a rage, and he began thrashing again, even with the electric pain still lingering in his body. He surged forward, only to be dragged savagely back by the shirt, opening up a huge tear in the already ragged fabric.

"Hurry up!" yelled the first voice. "This one's a pain in the ass. The sooner he's put down, the better."

Still kicking and thrashing, Leo was dragged out first, letting out another screech of defiance. At this point he knew there was hardly any hope, but he didn't plan to stop struggling.

_I'm gonna give you hell before you put a bullet in my head, bastard,_ he thought, twisting just enough to chomp into his handler's arm. Fangs or no, he wasn't holding anything back. The guard yelped, half releasing him. Leo only managed to throw off his hand before he was seized again. He twisted wildly, just being contrary now.

He blinked. He'd caught a glimpse of something, back inside the building. A shadow, a glint of reflection off of something dark. He didn't get a chance to look again as a black bag was whipped over his head.

"Move it!" bawled the man in charge. Leo still dragged his feet, but he wasn't as resistant as before. His mind was occupied.

They trekked on, beyond the mutant district by the distance, Leo guessed. He was steeling himself now. He knew what was coming, and he was going to face it like a man, not as a coward or animal.

He was suddenly spun about, his back slamming roughly into a cold, slightly giving surface that rattled as he was chained to it: a chain link fence. He was standing in something warm and wet.

The black bag was whipped off his head, and Leo blinked. When his vision cleared, he almost threw up. His lowered gaze beheld a huge pool of blood, appearing almost pitch-black under the faint moonlight. The bottoms of his feet were sticky with it. He could feel strands of the wetness beginning to stain his back as well, blood left by former victims that clung to the chain links rubbing against his skin. His tail curled up in horror and disgust, trying to stay clear of the red lake beneath him.

Then he glanced up, fear clouding his thoughts. They faced five men, lined up to each prisoner, each holding their guns to their shoulders with cold looks of professionalism on their faces.

He gulped. This was it. The run was over. Leo had never so suddenly felt so alone. He glanced desperately to the side, wanting one last glimpse of his family and friends. Benj was already as pale as a corpse, and Tyler had his eyes clenched shut, despair and fury in every line of his face. Jesse was trembling, breathing deeply through his nose as he bit his lip, trying to hold onto what courage he had left. Strobe had her head lowered, whispering words Leo couldn't hear. It could have been a prayer, or maybe a final farewell to her son who would probably never know his young mother's fate.

Another guard, not part of the firing squad, walked up to them, smirking darkly as he began double-checking their restraints. The guard raised his eyebrows when he reached Leo, his gaze directed downward at the mutant's half-exposed chest. Set right on his sternum, visible through the large rip in his shirt, embedded in the skin was a crystal-like object, pale white and shining under the moonlight. Mockingly, the guard tapped it roughly with his fingers. Leo twitched, hissing as hot flashes swept through him. The guard bared a sneering grin.

"Hey Holster, you've already got yourself a premade bulls-eye," the guard called to the ash-blonde triggerman directly across from Leo.

"Fuck off!" snarled Benj, whose face was murderous. The guard merely scowled, before his taunting expression returned.

"Alright muties, remember to smile for the camera," the guard sneered as he stepped aside. There was nothing but empty air between the five mutants and their executioners now.

"Lo siento, mi hermanos," Tyler whispered, letting a broken smile flit across his face. "I'm so sorry, guys. I'm pretty sure Mom really is going to kick my ass when we go up."

"We'll vouch for you," Jesse said weakly. The gunmen stood at attention, raising their weapons. All five mutants braced, making sure to keep their eyes wide open, to stare right into the eyes of the triggermen. Even as Leo could almost feel himself already growing cold, could already see his blood mingling with the already too large puddle under his feet, he gave them a vicious smile.

"Ready!"

"Aim!"

The mutants all held their breath.

"Fire!"

Horrifically loud, unified blasts of sound shattered the sorrowful air, and five bodies slumped as all life left them. Rivulets of blood began to flow, and the lake of red started to grow.

* * *

_Finally finished this one!_

_I'd like to thank , **Arian Eripmav**, **Seeds of Destruction**, **KA**, **dawnoftheceruleansky**, **Rex123**, **Obsidian the Ghost Faced**, **Stormplains**, and **CyKiESuMMerS** for their reviews (and their patience). Let's hope the next one won't be so long in coming. I plan to have this finished by its anniversary, June 16th. Keep your fingers crossed for me._


	23. Special Anniversary Treat

Hello, all you awesome readers and reviewers!

Today marks the one-year anniversary for this story. I had planned to have Survivors finished by the time this date rolled around, but due to the worst-timed bout of writer's block I believe I've ever experienced, I haven't been able to finish the last two chapters. I swear, I've sat down multiple times, tried to vomit out whatever words came to mind, and even that approach wasn't working. So, no dice.

But I didn't want to let the date pass by like I have with every other story I've written, so I'm going to jump the gun on something I had planned for after the story was finished.

A while back I started putting the skills I'd learned in Drawing 101 to start making several portraits of all the OCs of this story, and I thought it would be a cool treat for all the awesome people who have lent me their characters and have followed this story since the beginning. They can be found on my DeviantArt account, which shares my FanFiction username. I only have a few right now, but I hope to have drawn all the main characters by the time I finish this trilogy. For those OC creators whose characters I haven't yet drawn and posted, feel free to send me a picture of a person or celebrity that most resembles your character. For the most part, the drawings are how I imagine the OCs, but I'd love to see your image of them in real life.

Also, I extend the invitation to all OC creators to send me ideas or thoughts on how their characters have progressed and where you'd like to see them go, or something you'd love to see them do. While the next two books have a structure, the plots are pretty fluid at the moment, so there's plenty of room for expansion. Those who don't have OCs, send in some plot ideas if you want.

Thanks again to all the readers of this story for giving your time, feedback, and just the enjoyment of knowing that someone is getting some entertainment from what I expel from my overactive brain, flaws and grammar mistakes and all.

Yay for 1st Anniversary, and for those of you out, Happy Summer Vacation!

WG23


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